The Void War
by Sub-Par Grief
Summary: Sequel to Crownquest and The Price of Peace. For almost a year peace has reigned in Ebott, but when The First Child returns in a storm of violence and death, it's up to Frisk and Asriel, along with their friends, to band together in a fight not just for their own survival, but for that of every soul in existence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! After almost half a year we're back with the 3rd and final part of the story. Hope you're ready for it's going to be quite a ride!**

 **For those of you who haven't read the first two storiest fret not! The first few chapters should more or less bring you up to speed.**

 **And with that; Let's get going!**

* * *

Everything... was good.

For some reason, that was the first thought that entered Frisk's mind as she woke up to a mild breeze coming through a half-opened window a warm summer morning.

For the past 2 weeks, she and her betrothed, Asriel, had retreated to a spacious beach-side residence for a well-deserved rest, considering the enormous cavalcade of events that had happened after their adventure one year ago.

It still felt like it was yesterday; the mysterious kidnappings, the assassination attempt at the heart of Ebott City, the Former General of the Royal Guard, driven mad with grief at having lost the war so long ago, and most sinister of all; The Prophet, a young human who had fused the kidnapped monsters into a hideous Amalgam Alpha in a twisted attempt at saving the world from, he claimed, Chara, soon to return, with all the lost souls of the void at their back.

She shook her head clear of the thoughts, yes, it had been a dark venture, but ultimately it had paid off. She and Asriel had been lauded as heroes upon their return and their actions had even laid the foundation of the removal of the cordon that for so long had seen monsterkind isolated from the rest of the surface.

Now, they were finally free, the worst seemed to have passed and each day seemed to bring more good than bad news.  
Their future, HER future, married, as she were to the Prince and soon-to-be King of All Monsters looked brighter than it ever had.

She looked over at the aforementioned monster, still sleeping at her side and sharing her bed. A warmth spread from her heart into a blush on her face.

At 23 years old now, Asriel wasn't the little crybaby he once was, even if he could look it. His white fur was as pristine as ever, if a little messy and tangled. One of his ears was draped over his eyes, and a light snore escaped his mouth out of which his tongue rolled out unto the linen. The only real blemish being the shorn top of his right-most horn, cut off during a battle with an ancient enemy of monsterkind almost 5 years ago.

As adorable and downright cute as his face was, the rest of his body carried a different kind of attraction. Early on after having broken The Barrier, Undyne had taken Asriel under her wing to teach him how to defend himself as well as others. She had been a tough, if not downright brutal teacher, but all the training had paid off, in more ways than one, as the bronze trophy standing on a shelf over their head could attest to, a prize from Asriel, and monsterkinds, first entry into the summer solstice games.

She raised a finger over him. Perhaps it was time to explore her conquered territory?

She placed the finger on his throat and, careful not to wake the sleeping monster, tenderly traced it down to his chest. Like the perfect pillow, it felt comfortable and tingly at first, thanks to the fur, but press just a little and she soon felt the hard muscle beneath, protecting that most precious of beating treasures underneath, heaving and falling with each breath he took.

She briefly noticed the ring on her finger, the symbol that had consummated their union. A somewhat bulky piece of jewelry with one large blue gem flanked on either side by 3 smaller ones, forming a small delta rune. A beautiful and valuable thing, but it didn't come close to the true beauty of it. The gems were made by powdered echo flowers that had then been hardened into crystals. Rub a finger across them and it would be like being back when they had sworn their love for one another, for all to see.

She continued downwards, trailing her finger across the ridges of his toned stomach. As he had grown older, some of Asriel's fur had migrated upwards towards his head, where it would no doubt one day form a proud mane, just like his dad. It had left the fur on his stomach thin and downy, but made his chest and shoulders more fluffy, perfect for nuzzling into. She briefly touched a patch of naked skin, an old wound, a gift from the maddened monster they had defeated a year ago, but who had nonetheless come perilously close to killing him, having impaled Asriel trough his lower abdomen with a magical spear.

A short chuckle suddenly escaped the monster, followed by him mumbling something, speech slurred by drowsiness.  
"Urn uh o ol te'b ick'in others?"  
"What?" Frisk asked with a small laugh of herself.  
"Aren't you a bit too old to tickle others?" Asriel repeated more clearly.  
"I wasn't tickling..." Frisk said in a low voice. "If I was, it would feel something like this!" She dug her fingers into his ribs, eliciting a surprised bleat and bout of panicked laughter from the monster.

He grabbed his pillow and tossed it at her. She shrieked and moves her arms to defend her face from the incoming fluffy projectile. She suddenly felt Asriel grab her arms and pinning them to bed, and as she looked up she found him above her.

"Gotcha!" Asriel said with a victorious smile.  
"Oh no! What am I, a strapping you human girl, to do against this horribly handsome monster come to capture me?" She said with a flirtatious smirk.  
"Hehe, well, give me a small token of your love and I might just let you go" Asriel offered. They shared a brief moment of loving silence, affection in both their eyes, before the leaned into each other.

"I love you" Asriel cooed as he pulled away.  
"Sure feels like it" Frisk answered "But you can tell me all about it later. You know what today is. Gotta get moving"  
A brief look of disappointment rolled over Asriel's face and he fell to the side with a groan.  
"Oh don't be such a baby. It's just a small party to celebrate the opening of the new center. Dad will be there"  
"I know" He exhaled.  
"...buuuuuut?"  
"Sometimes... I just wish it wasn't like this"  
"What, that we weren't heirs to an amazing people?"  
"You know what I mean, Frisk..."  
"I do... but I guess fate has more in store for us, huh?"  
"I could easily have settle with just this... with you..."  
"Shesh, Azzy, and I thought I was bad at flirting"  
"But-"  
"The only butt I want to see is yours marching out to get dressed"  
"I'm going" Asriel said with a defeated sigh, rising from the bed.  
"I just wish this... whole thing would have lasted a bit longer" He muttered.  
"We've been here for 2 weeks"  
"Sure doesn't feel like it"  
"It never does..." Frisk said with a playful smile "But there's no reason we can't do it again"  
"I might just have to take you up on that" Asriel said, yawning and stretching the sleepiness off.

"Better get dressed and ready yourself, princes. Wouldn't want that crows nest of your to take attention away from the big event, would we?"  
"My hair is worthy of the highest praise, just ask Mettaton, but I'll humor you just this once"  
"You're too kind" Asriel said, leaning down for one last kiss before heading to the restroom.

* * *

In the years after her resurrection, Frisk had lived with The Dreemurrs, who had expressed, in almost every single way, how grateful they were to her for restoring them to the surface. It had been a wonderful, if a bit lax life, and Toriel's food, no matter how delicious it was, wasn't always on the healthy side. The end result had been Frisk becoming a tad bit pudgy, that was, until she and her prince had become married. In order to spend more time together, they had taken up running, swimming and other activities together, maybe not the most romantic of things to do, but they didn't need to be, as long as they had each other.

The result, however, was clear to see. While not nearly on Asriel's level, it had toned her physique quite a bit and the time spent near the warm, sunlit coasts and beaches had given her brown hair and fair skin a healthy glow. She wasn't tall, even by human standards, having only grown a shy few centimeters the last few years, but she still had a height that several gossipy magazines had called "cute".  
Incidentally, these were the same magazines that had labeled Frisk as a blackmailer and vile seductress and in the weeks after her marriage to Asriel had been announced. Asriel had for a long time been the most eligible bachelor in Ebott, in part thanks to his looks but also because he carried one of the most romantic titles possible; that of "Prince".

Of course, this assault on Frisk quickly proved a very bad move. Monsters, outraged at the accusation of their savior, had railed against the gossipers, and while there were still many grumpy monsters, either young females furious at being robbed of their chance or older traditionalists disappointed at having a human as a future ruler, most had peacefully accepted Frisk's and Asriel's union.

Even if they were not of the same race, together, Frisk and Asriel stood as a shining future for monsterkind.

* * *

The changes in human-monster relations the past year had been drastic, massive, even, to the point that shortly after Asriel's and Frisk's mission to rescue the kidnapped monsters, monster integration into human society had been approved.

Interested parties had flocked to Ebott, eager to see what monster magic, food, culture, and the like had to offer.  
In the wake of this, a grand center; a place where all issues between the 2 races could be discussed and solved, had been planned. Built solely by human and monster volunteers and constructed solely with donated materials and funding.

Today, it finally stood finished and as Asriel, Frisk beside him in the passenger seat, swung into the freshly-paved parking lot, he saw just how much attention it got.  
Reporters, politicians, even a few celebrities clogged the entrance. None of them, however, had the same imposing frame as Asgore, King of Monsters, standing, as he were, at the entrance conversing with a group of humans.

Above the building, the majestic sight of The Airship hung, the royal airship that Frisk and Asriel had used as a base on their escapade the last year, and now used by the royal family whenever they went on official tours. Also, incidentally, named by Asgore. It was a massive thing, with space for over 300 passengers and outfitted with meeting rooms, a cinema, a gym and even a ballroom.  
A large green orb was set into the tail, a kind of magical generator made by Alphys. It provided The Airship with virtually infinite power and fuel, it could even be said that it was too powerful, and Asriel eyed a large mooring line set into the plain before the new center, holding the ship in place.

* * *

Side-by-side, Frisk and Asriel strode up to the entrance. Cameras flashed at them and any reporter who caught sight of them rushed to their side, questions flooding out of them like gibberish from a temmie.  
Frisk took it all with good-natured smiles and waves, eagerly turning to face whatever camera was filming them.  
Asriel, on the other hand, sighed inwardly, before putting on a well-practiced "public face".  
He couldn't for the life of him understand how Mettaton put up with this...

A large camera suddenly went off right beside him, blinding him with its flash. He winced, instinctively moving a paw up to nurse his eyes while the other curled into a fist out of frustration.

A low growl escaped him. How easy it would be to simply lash out at the annoying little flash-fly, how good it must feel... but no, appearances must be upheld. As Prince of Monsters he couldn't be allowed to act on his own accord, whenever he was out, he had to be someone else than Asriel.

A small hand gently grabbed him, and from the mere touch, he knew who it was.  
"Easy, the worst is almost over" Frisk quietly said.  
"I hate this" He hissed back, just as quiet.  
Frisk simply nodded her agreement, even as a concerned knot settled in her stomach. She still remembered, near the end of their adventure last year, how she had peered into his soul and seen how much his LV had risen. She couldn't blame him, of course, in the span of a few short days he had witnessed a loyal member of the royal guard being killed right in front of him and then being covered with his dust, dredging up a lot of bad memories. He had seen how all the work his father had done to secure monsterkinds place on the surface crumble away as their people were kidnapped, then learned how they had been imprisoned by slaves, skinned for coats to decadent nobility and finally horribly merged into the Amalgam Alpha, a huge amalgam comprised of 33 monsters and 33 humans, and possessing incredible power. Enough, it was claimed, to save the world when Chara returned to the world of the living.

His encounters with such depravity and darkness had changed him, Frisk knew. He still had much of his good heart and kindness but he was quicker to anger.  
Perhaps it was for the best, Frisk usually surmised when she reached such thought. Monsterkinds future was like a speeding train on wobbly rails and it would need a firm hand to hold them on course.

* * *

Asgore stood in the middle of the entrance hall, surrounded by suits and reporters. Asriel noticed Undyne standing nearby, unusually enough wearing a robe much like his own combat attire, yet he noticed a thickness to the arms and legs, hinting at extra armour underneath.  
With very little in the way of threat to Ebott as a whole, Undyne often served as a "bodyguard" to Asgore whenever he went on larger excursions. Asgore could usually handle himself, however, and it could be said Undyne was more of an advisor than a bodyguard, whenever tough decisions had to be made.

The Captain noticed the two heirs, she beamed a wide smile and waved them over.  
"'bout time you two showed up! What, got lost in that big beach-house of yours?"  
"More like lost in this swarm of reporters" Asriel replied back with a smile of his own.  
"Tell me about it..." Undyne said with a weak chuckle and shake of her head.

"Frisk! Asriel!" Asgore suddenly boomed, breaking out of the small circle of suits that had him trapped with arms wide, ready to scoop the two into a hug with a hearty laugh.  
Frisk and Asriel gladly obliged. It figured that only one such as Asgore would cause a scene at such an important event but neither of them cared.  
"Glad to see you too, dad" Frisk said as he finally put them down.  
"Likewise, likewise" Asgore replied "This is a monumental day, after all. It has taken us many years of hard work but finally... our place on the surface is assured"  
"And it's all thanks to you, dad" Asriel said, but Asgore immediately replied with a shake of his head.  
"No, I am far from solely responsible for this great day. It is bigger than merely me or you. All of this could never have happened without our people never losing hope and the many humans who never stopped standing at our side. It is important we never forget all of those who helped us"

"Asgore! You old billy-goat, I finally found you!" an elderly but nonetheless warm female voice suddenly called.  
Asriel turned around, finding an aging human woman closing in on them.  
"Hah! Speak of the sun and it starts shining!" Asgore boomed and went to greet the woman.  
"Well, what can I say? It's been a long road but we've finally made it"  
"Even the longest road can seem a breeze if walked with good friends"  
"In that case, I apologize for turning this small breeze into a year-long hurricane season" the woman answered with a laugh.

She turned to face Asriel and Frisk and the already big smile on her face turned even wider.  
"Aha! You must be the two legendary children of Ebott, though "Children" might not be such a fitting word anymore!" she beamed.  
"I don't know if "legendary" is as fitting either" Asriel replied, nervously scratching the back of his head "We just did what anyone else would have done" Frisk added.  
"But far from what just anyone could be capable of! You really must tell me all about your adventures one day!"  
"We would be delighted to, ms...?" Frisk ventured.

"Golly! Me and my forgetfulness, I haven't even introduced you, have I?" Asgore said and gestured to the woman "This is Dolores. An official that has been of crucial aid to our campaign"  
"Good lord, you make it sound so casual. I merely noticed you guys needed help and if I needed to knock a few stubborn heads around to get the ball rolling then I was happy to oblige" The woman replied.

Hearing her name Asriel gave the woman another look-over. Her shoulder-length hair was graying and her skin wrinkled, yet her head was unbowed and there was an undeniable fire in her brown eyes. It was a face that spoke of many harsh life-lessons that nonetheless had not dampened her compassion for others.

A sudden whine from a microphone being tuned echoed throughout the hall. Asriel and Asgore; due to their more sensitive ears, flinched painfully at the sound.  
"Looks like they're getting ready for the speeches" Frisk offered.  
"More like 'sounds' like..." Asriel groaned.  
"Ah, the moment I most dread" Asgore sighed "When I have to go on stage and make a fool of myself"  
"Don't be like that you big doof, it'll be over before you know it" Dolores consoled, before going to find her seat.  
With a nod, Asriel made to follow to find his own but was stopped by Asgore placing his large paw on his shoulder.  
"Hey, Asriel, I was wondering... after the speeches could you come find me backstage? There's something I'd like to talk to you about"  
"About what?" Asriel asked with curious eyes.  
"Oh nothing important, just... or, well, it is a bit important I guess but, eh, ju-just find me after the speech, alright?

The King moved away towards the stage before Asriel could answer and from the look in his eyes, he could guess why. Whatever it was he wanted to talk about must be highly important... and yet, he hadn't seen any fear in his dad, only excitement...

… and pride.

* * *

At the same time, in a place where no living being ever had nor should tread, The First Child tore feverishly at the air.  
To the unknowing, it looked something like a maddened child swatting and clawing at invisible insects, yet Chara knew better. With every swing and every stroke, they could feel the fabric between worlds flow between their fingers and tear under their nails. It was thin now, so very thin. Occasionally they could even feel a warm breeze or the brief chirp of a bird. And they weren't alone.

All around them great groups of lost souls had gathered. Souls so heavy with LV that they had been condemned to an eternity in this empty, cold void... just like Chara themselves. Many of them had gone without the simple sensations of being able to feel anything for hundreds if not thousands of years and it had driven them mad. They could feel their release close at hand now. Soon, they would be freed into the world of the living to take from them what was once theirs. Chara had wondered about them a few times. Unlike the spirits they did not feel empty of emotions, in fact, they had quite a lot; Love, hatred, joy, fear. The vengeful spirits knew only one thing: An unending, insane hunger for life. Sensing it being close, they mumbled, screamed and gibbered with excitement.

Chara themselves, though not really showing it, was just as excited. Just a bit more and they would be free. They didn't really know what the spirits would do once they got free. Run rampant? Try and return to their old homes? Probably something stupid. No, Chara had other plans; they needed to find their old brother, the savior, the liar, the lovable monster, the traitor...

With an ethereal screech, the space in front of Chara suddenly exploded in a great gust of warm, summer air. Chara was blasted onto their back and felt, for the first time in many years, the warm rays of the summer sun on them, spilling through a great hole hanging in the air.

The Wraiths stampeded through, pushing, shoving and screaming to get out of the void. Chara simply let them with a cold smirk. They had time enough.

The end of this world was at hand, and the start of the next would soon begin.

* * *

"... and in closing; allow this old monster to once again iterate how radiant this day is. It is the beginning of a new partnership, of cooperation between our great peoples. It brings to mind a term a good friend of mine, our royal scientist as it is, told me a while ago, something from her, uhh, eastern studies. Something called "Kintsukuroi"... golly, I hope I got the pronunciation right. It is a form of art in which something destroyed is repaired with traces of gold, like pottery, becoming more beautiful than it once was. I hope this is something like that, like the muscle that only gets stronger by being destroyed and then rebuilt, so do I hope the bond between our peoples have only been tempered by the hardships we have faced. Thank you and stars bless you all!"

A roar of applause filled the hall as Asgore concluded his speech with a bow. Asriel eagerly joined in and at his side, Frisk leaped from her seat to whistle loudly.  
Up on the stage, Asgore scanned the ground and as his eyes fell on Asriel he nodded towards the backstage with a smile. Asriel rose from his chair and made to follow.  
"What's up, goat-butt?" Frisk asked.  
"Nothing, dad wanted to talk to me"  
"Oohhh, having secrets are we!?"  
"Heh, I doubt I could hold anything a secret from you for long"  
"Well, alright, see you at the buffet!" Frisk finished and raced for the tables.

* * *

Behind the stage, The Great King Asgore sat on a prop box, nervously humming a melody and twiddling his thumbs. Asriel couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the sight. His dad might strike an imposing figure at first, but everyone who knew him knew he really was nothing but a big goofball.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Asriel asked as he walked closer.  
A trace of fear went over Asgore's face, as if he had been dreading the coming moment. He rose from the box.  
"Yes, I did, uhh, as I said it's nothing... **that** important, but nevertheless something that I, uhh... so, uhh, how are you and Frisk doing?"  
Asriel made a mental sigh and rolled his eyes. It was clear his dad was avoiding the very thing he called him here to talk about.  
"Well, just an hour ago I was enjoying the warm beaches and solitude together with Frisk, now I'm surrounded by people that not long ago wouldn't have thought twice about sending us all back underground... so, yeah, not too bad I guess"

"Good, very good" Asgore said absentmindedly, having probably not even heard a word.  
Asriel placed a paw on his dad's shoulders.  
"Dad, your speech was very well done, the whole crowd was cheering you. If you can talk to them, you can talk to me"  
Their eyes met. After a few seconds, Asgore finally seemed to relent, sighing deeply.  
"Of course, you are right. I'm already half-paralyzed with stage fright so I might as well get this off my chest. But... it is not for me I'm fearful. It's for you"  
"Me?"  
"Asriel... I am old now, I have ruled our people for longer than should be right, longer than anyone in the recorded history of our race I'd think... I think... I think the time has come to, as they say, pass on the torch"

A lump of fear formed in Asriel's throat, slowly sinking down into his chest.  
"Please, I know how you feel, but there's no easy way to say it" Asgore continued. He looked out towards the assembled crowd of human politicians and monsters.  
"But I wanted to wait until today. I think now is the right time. We are no longer as feared or suppressed as we once were. Things are quiet and calm, I don't think we'll ever see a better time for... well, change"

Asriel looked aside, a whirlwind of thoughts in his head. He knew he and Frisk had to assume the mantle of King and Queen of monsters soon, but he still hadn't seen this coming. But... perhaps his dad was right, now was the perfect time.  
"There's still time, of course!" Asgore began with a more cheerful voice "Something like this doesn't happen overnight. I'm planning on going public tomorrow, and even then there will be many days of preparation... if... you think you and Frisk are ready that is?"  
Asriel looked up at his dad, there was nothing but pride and anticipation in the ancient monster's features.  
"I don't think I am..." Asriel began "... But how could anyone ever be truly ready for something like this? Yes, I... I think me and Frisk can do this, I- Urrf!"  
Asgore scooped his son up in a nearly crushing hug, forcing the air out of the prince.  
"I'm so happy to hear you say that, and I know your mother would be as well!" Asgore said with quivering voice, almost as if he was about to cry.

"About that..." Asriel wheezed as he was finally put down "How are you and mom doing? I heard you were... meeting up tonight" In recent times, with things quieting down Asgore had had time to make amends to his former queen. He had kept their progress private, but Asriel still remembered how he, two months ago, had helped his dad carry a large king-sized bed in to replace the single-person one in his home. Asgore had explained he needed the extra space due to some recent bad-tea induced nightmares making him thrash around in his sleep. That didn't explain why his liquor cabinet had recently been more stocked or why he had taken cooking lessons from Undyne, with specific focus towards romantic dinners.

Asgore nervously scratched his neck "Hah, well, we're just... going to talk, I can imagine, over a cup of tea... or maybe something stronger, we'll see how it goes, anyway..." He finished, shaking his head.  
"Enough about me, this is about you and Frisk. I know it's a heavy burden I'm placing on you, but I'm sure you will do our family's duty honor"

Asriel nervously scratched his arm and looked askew, it was clear his dad believed in him, but so far he had very little experience actually leading anyone or anything. He could barely even comprehend how big a challenge this would be.

Asgore wrapped a gentle arm around his son's shoulder and pulled him close.  
"There's something my dad once told me when he explained I had to take the throne one day..:" Asgore began.  
"Think with your head but act with your heart?"  
"Hah, the old family saying, that too, but no, it's more... a question, I guess you could say"  
"A question?"  
"Yes, come here..." He walked with his son over to a window. The Monster-Human center was built atop a plateau and offered a good view over Ebott City.  
"Imagine our kingdom as a ship with our people the crew, the cooks, the carpenters, the minutemen, all important roles in keeping the ship afloat"  
"Okay..." Asriel said, envisioning every building in the city as made of wood, and giant waves lapping the side of the city.

"On such a ship" Asgore continued "What role do you think we, the Kings and Queens, have?"  
There was the question. To Asriel, the obvious answer was "Captain" but the way the question was posed...  
"The... captain?" Asriel nevertheless answered.  
A small smile went across Asgore's face "A good answer, the same one I made, in fact. But no... we would be The Lookout"  
"What, really?"  
"Asriel, as King, your duty will first and foremost be to safeguard our people and our way of life. You don't have to decide how each and every monster live their lives, they're perfectly capable of doing that themselves. The Lookout is an important role, they are the ones that keep the rest of the crew aware of threats and dangers, and advises them on what do to "Man the cannons! Hard to starboard" and all that... well, not literally that, but you get what I mean"  
"I... think I do"

"It is also why you must never lose the trust of our people, Asriel. A crew that does not trust their lookout will not heed the warnings that could save their ship, just as a people that does not trust their leaders will not last long. All you and Frisk have to do is keep our people clear and aware of threats from within and beyond, do that, and things will, usually, work themselves out."  
"You make it sound so simple"  
"Hah, well, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. You can't sum our whole stewardship up in one metaphor, but it's not as difficult as it may seem. Just... Remember; you must be a King, never a Dictator"  
"I think I understand"

They shared a moment of silence, father and son staring out at the vista their kingdom. Asgore broke the silence with a deep intake of breath.  
"Asriel... our family has ruled since time immemorial, but we haven't always ruled with the strength and wisdom required of us. My parents nearly led our people to extinction in the war and I didn't do much better. But with you and Frisk... I see the qualities needed of truly great leaders"  
"I... We'll do our best, dad"  
"I know you will" Asgore finished with one last affectionate squeeze. "And if you ever need help, you can always count on either me or your mother. Retirement for monarchs is a bit lop-sided, you understand"  
"That... is actually very reassuring"

"Now, I know you have a lot to think about so I'll leave you to your thoughts. I'll, uh, go break the news to Frisk. Come and find us in a few minutes, alright?"  
"Yeah... sure"

With one last pat on the shoulder, Asgore walked back out into the ballroom, leaving Asriel alone with the vista over Ebott City. In truth, the prospect of becoming king filled him more with a healthy dose of apprehension rather than outright fear. Maybe his dad was right, maybe he was over-thinking it, maybe it wasn't as daunting as he thought it would be. This was his destiny, after all. Since his birth, he had always been destined to be king one day, and with Frisk at his side how could it go wrong?

Slowly, the tension in his heart gave way to careful excitement. Maybe... it would turn out just fine. Yes, probably... it would. He and Frisk could do it, he knew.

Together, they would forge a glorious future for all monsters, he thought and knew with certainty that they would do their best.

This was what he was born to do, and with a swell of pride in his chest, he swore he would never relent in his duties, both to his people and to Frisk.

That was when the screaming started...


	2. The Lost and Damned

**Time to really get this story off the starting line, and what better way than an absolute disaster?**

* * *

It started off as low, far-away shrieks and initially, Asriel thought the sounds were nothing more than a particularly displeased seagull, but slowly, as the noise got louder, a chill went down his spine. The noise was undulating, human and absolutely fear-stricken.  
On the other side of Ebott City, at the base of Mt. Ebott, He noticed strange flashes of colors.

But that couldn't be true! Ever since learning of Chara's return and what it might bring they had had the entire Underground evacuated, and Alphys had placed a new barrier to prevent any lost, vengeful spirits from breaking out. If The New Barrier was flaring up...

"Oh no..."

Asriel dashed back out into the ballroom, quickly scanning for his dad, Frisk and Undyne. The place was still packed with human politicians and dignitaries, along with the sounds of lively chatter and champagne glasses clinking, but here and there he spotted faces looking around, trying to ascertain what the strange, rising, shrieking sound was.  
Among those were Asgore and Frisk, standing in a quiet corner near the buffet.

Asriel rushed at them, waving to get their attention. Finally, his dad caught on and Asriel saw the terror of realization in his eyes.

Just as he did a large window at the entrance shattered into pieces and the shrieking reached a new height. Asriel turned, finding perhaps the most dust-chilling sight he had ever seen.

Humans, transparent and without color or substance, probably what a regular human would call "ghosts" clambering, pushing, shoving and screaming to get inside. They were as varied as the still-living ones inside the hall but they did share one trait; the absolute mad hunger and anger on their faces.  
He saw one leap onto a human, collapsing him on the floor. It punched down at his chest and it's hand went inside without causing any wound. When it pulled it out with a victorious scream it clutched a green soul which it began to devour like a rabid beast, shoving it into its mouth in a way that would surely have dislocated its jaw if the soul had any mass.  
The human underneath died slowly, never really realizing what had happened to him.

All around the room the same scene played out; angry, hollow spirits tearing out the souls of the living to feast upon, quickly, the screams of the living drowned of those of the dead as they began to flee away from the entrance further into the building.

Asriel was wakened from his stupor by a large paw on his shoulder.  
"Asriel, Frisk, head to the roof, take The Airship back to Ebott with as many as you can" Asgore said, staring at the entrance.  
"Wha-" Asriel began.  
"Now! You and Frisk, of all people, must survive this. Now go!" He finished loudly, shoving Asriel towards the stairs.  
"Wait, dad! What are you doing!?"  
"Saving us all!" Undyne suddenly cut in, grabbing him by the arm and pulling away.  
"Wha- No! We can't just leave him!"  
"Sorry kid, king's orders" The Captain said dryly, but even in his panicked state Asriel could sense the reluctance.  
"Whatever happens, you two MUST live"

* * *

The stairs leading to the roof was packed with fleeing and screaming humans and were it not for Undyne they might never have made in time. As it were, however, the captain of the guard pushed and shoved her way through the trong, clearing a way for Asriel and Frisk to follow. Several humans were knocked down by the fish-monster and more than a few times Frisk stopped to help the fallen dignitaries, only to be grabbed by Undyne and swiftly pulled away.

Asriel reluctantly followed suit as well, throwing glances behind him at every opportunity to see if his dad was coming along, to no avail, unfortunately.

When they arrived on the roof they were greeted by the sight of The Airship's wide boarding ramp packed with humans and monsters seeking an escape, as well as the steadily increasing droning sound of the engines starting up. It was a large vessel, easily capable of carrying the survivors back to safety, yet as Asriel looked up at it, safety was the last thing he felt.

Instead, it was a dread realization.

The mooring line, tethering the ship to the ground, extending down from the ship's stern, past the building... down into the open plain in front of the center.  
"NO!" Asriel shouted as he realized this. With a shove, he broke out of the group of humans clustering around them and ran to the edge of the roof.

It was a sea of grey, empty spirits, coalescing seemingly out of nowhere, yet in that sea was a ship. Asgore, his dad, waving his flaming trident around to keep the spirits at bay, while he forced his way through to the mooring line.  
Asriel almost made to jump off the roof to join him, only stopped by a firm hand from Undyne grabbing his shoulder.  
"LET GO OF ME! WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!" Asriel shouted and wrestled to get free.  
"We can't..." Undyne answered dryly.  
"YES WE CAN! JUST... LET GO!" Asriel swung around with a punch, aiming to get away from the captain, but of course, Undyne had seen it coming. With a quick wave of her hand, Undyne batted the fist away before quickly pulling Asriel close, partly restraining and partly hugging him, though, whether it was for his or her comfort he couldn't tell.

"No... no..." Asriel sobbed through his tears. He risked a look back, seeing his dad finally reach the tether and with a roar of effort cut it loose with his trident.  
"We have to go" Undyne said, almost a whisper "You... you don't want to see this"  
Asriel did wish he could look away, but the scene before him was like out of a nightmare. Countless spirits swarmed over his dad and several were sent flying away with each swing of his weapon and several spirits dissipated into puffs of strange smoke and screams of frustration as his fireballs slammed into them, yet there were simply too many. One managed to get onto his back and sink its ghostly hand into his back. The king froze, stock still, with a look of fear on his faces before the spirit tore it's arm free, a beating boss-monster soul in its hand.

Mercifully, Undyne pulled him away, almost carrying the nearly comatose prince up the ramp together with a deathly silent Frisk, into the ship.

Through the haze of absolute disbelief that fogged Asriel's mind all he could hear were the screams of the dead and damned, those of the living and those yet to come

* * *

One year ago, a crisis had hit Ebott City. Monsterkind, at that point, was barely tolerated by the nearby human government and had only made slow progress towards a safe existence on the surface.

All of that went out the window when 33 of monsterkinds best and brightest had disappeared from a goodwill project in the human capital.

Armed with the new Royal Flagship, Frisk, Asriel, Undyne and Alphys had set out to find the missing monsters, uncovering a plot that went deeper than any could have foreseen.  
Trough the manor of a twisted human noble to a slavery den in an abandoned power plant they had gone, finally learning that the true culprits were a strange alliance between the old general of the royal guard, driven mad by monsterkinds defeat in the war, and a mysterious young human calling himself "The Prophet". Plagued by visions of The Earth consumed by vengeful spirits since birth, but also gifted with a strange ability of foresight and mind-reading, The Prophet had melded the 33 monsters and 33 humans into an enormous, hideous being called "The Amalgam Alpha".

He revealed that Chara's soul, filled with Determination as it was, had steadily been clawing its way out of The Void, and when they did a storm of lost, angry spirits would follow with, consuming every living thing on the planet.

The Prophet believed that the power coming from a being consisting of so many different monster and human souls would have acted like a beacon, drawing the lost spirits to it, potentially for all time, saving the world but condemning the souls within The Amalgam Alpha to a fate far worse than death for all time.

Asriel and Frisk had only barely managed to defeat The Prophet, fighting through his ability to unlock the deepest fears hidden in their minds and exposing them to it. Since then he had been contained in a special cell that subdued his powers beneath the Royal Guard barracks. Several times Asriel had visited him, trying to learn how or when Chara would return. He had no answers to give, stating that he could only scry the ends of the timelines, either of the world's end or one with Asriel, Chara and Frisk standing in a black void followed by a bright explosion

They had done what they could to prepare; if Chara was to reappear, Asriel had guessed it would be where they were buried, close to Home, and with Asgore's approval they had re-sealed the entrance to The Underground.  
Yet, still, Asriel and Frisk had silently hoped The Prophet was wrong. The only evidence was, after all, his claims and words

* * *

Alas, he had been proven right.

Asriel sat in silence in his cabin aboard The Airship, the events of the last hours playing through his head.  
To think the day had started off so well... and now, here he sat, fleeing an army of the vengeful dead, facing an uncertain future and apparently his old sibling Chara was involved.

And... his dad... Asgore, The Great King of Monsters, The Hopeful, The King Under the Mountain, his dad... had died...  
No, worse than that, his soul, his very essence had been torn from his body, to be drained and consumed by maddened spirits.

That... did happen...

It was so unbelievable Asriel couldn't even cry about it. Probably for the best, for if he did he might never stop.  
A radio on a nearby desk only served to compound the catastrophe. All over the world, from ancient graveyards and long-forgotten battlefield hordes of transparent, ghostly killers emerged. Entire cities had already been completely overrun and drained of all life, the shaky-voiced radio host announced. Asriel barely paid it any heed. He had known something like this was coming and still they had been caught almost completely unprepared.  
He glanced out the porthole window, seeing the cityscape of Ebott grow larger and larger, just in front of a great, dark cloud.  
Ebott City... his city now. With his dad gone, stewardship of monsterkind now fell to him and Frisk.

It was all too much... far, far too much...

* * *

Frisk slowly walked down the cabin-area corridor, headed for Asriel's room. They would soon land back in Ebott, and she wanted to see to him. She felt a slight shame at not going earlier to see to him, but what had happened back at the center had stunned her to her core, and she had spent most of the trip in her own room trying to comprehend it all, she had succeeded, sobbed, recomposed herself and finally got up from her now damp bed and blankets.

She opened the door to Asriel's room, noticing a strange, sweet smell on the air.  
"Asriel? Are you there? Are you aright?"  
The door went up fully and immediately her trepidation was replaced with shock.

Asriel was there alright, plumbed down in a chair, staring out the window and with a nearly-empty full-bodied snail brandy in his paw.  
"H-hic!-Howdy, Frisk" He slurred without turning to her.  
She stood for a few seconds, jaw practically down on the ground.  
"Asriel... ar-are you... drunk?"  
"Hic! I schuppose so. What, want some?" He answered reaching the bottle out to her.  
She immediately snatched it out of his hands with a hiss of disgust.

"I can't believe this! The day we've feared has come and you're sitting there getting wasted!? What the hell, Asriel!?"  
He turned to her. The fur underneath his bloodshot eyes, mournful and angered at once, were stained wet.  
"Frisk... I've just been made king of an entire race, my long-lost beloved sibling has returned, intent on destroying the planet, we're practically in a war for the survival of every last soul on the planet... and my dad... just died... forgive me if I'm a little bit... overwhelmed, and need a little boost" He said with a low growl.

Frisk sighed, letting some of her own frustrations seep out and placed the bottle out of Asriel's reach.  
"I know how you feel. It's been a dark day for all of us and it might get even worse..." She reached down, taking Asriel paw into her hand.  
"But we will have to mourn later. There's so many people counting on us now, my love. We can't fall apart now"

Asriel inched his head down in shame.  
"But... what can we do? We don't know how to fight those things or how to stop them from coming back. I don't... I don't think we-"  
"Now you listen here, you little billy-goat!" Frisk barked, grabbing Asriel by the head and turning it to face her.  
"Even if we really can't stop this, even if there's no way we can win this, we are NOT going to just give up. We have beaten the odds before and we can do it again. If hope is all we have then it will have to be enough!"

Trough the wet, glistening tears in Asriel's eyes a small spark of hope and admiration appeared. Frisk let go of his head, and after a few moments of silence, it fell again.  
"I just... can't believe he's gone" Asriel whispered. A few drops fell to the wooden floor.  
Frisk nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat, but she willed it away.  
"I know it's dumb but...I've always imagined he would always be around, that he would never go away... I... I didn't even get to say goodbye..."  
He moved a hand up to stifle a sob, Frisk leaned down in response to pull him close.  
"I miss him too... but all we can do now is to make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain. We can't be children or crybabies anymore, Asriel. We have to grow up. We have to... be King and Queen"

He didn't answer, merely shaking, with only a few sobs escaping. After a few moments, Frisk did see and feel a nod from him.  
"I think what people need the most now is reassurance. The spirits from the center are headed away from Ebott and The Barrier to The Underground is holding. We're safe for now"  
Gently, she let go, beginning to slowly walk towards the door.

"I'll go make the announcement. After that... I think we'll both need some rest. There's some dark days ahead of us"  
"Right... I'll join you in a few minutes"  
"After you sober up, you mean?" Frisk answered with a playful smile.  
"There's some magic that can help with that" With a lighter tone.  
Frisk nodded, pausing for a few seconds before speaking.

"This might be the end, Asriel, but we can't give up. We need to be strong if we're going to do this"  
"Together" Asriel answered.  
"Always. To the end and beyond"

* * *

As the door closed behind her, Frisk sighed a breath of relief. Asriel would come around, he just needed some time...

The other issue, though.  
Frisk reached into her pocket fishing out a small plastic object the shape of a pen, with a small plus sign at the end.  
She had planned to tell him after the inauguration of the center but now... she might never get the chance. They already had enough on their minds, something like this would only make it worse.

But, just maybe, it could also give one more to fight for.

* * *

 **The loss a parent losing a child feels is one of the most devastating and horrible experiences, yet the reverse is also true.**

 **With all of Ebott stunned by tragedy and catastrophe, will they recover in time to save all they hold dear?**

 **We will see.**


	3. Fateful Coronation

**A bit of a shorter one, this, but important nonetheless. This is the end of the beginning and already the wheels of fate are in motion.**

* * *

For as long as he had known Asriel had looked forward to this day with an equal measure of fear and anticipation. It was the way, of course, for a prince to become a king one day, yet it had always seemed so impossibly far-away, like a childish fantasy, something that would never really actually happen, like a dream.

Now, suddenly, here he sat. And it wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. His only solace was that he wasn't alone in it. To his side, on a throne of her own, sat Frisk, somehow managing to keep up a strong, confident facade.

He could barely even remember the last two days since they had fled from the new community center. It was all a blur of disbelief, fear, panic and tears. Now, suddenly, here he sat, on his dad's old throne with his dad's crown on his head.

The throne room in the royal castle on the surface was a fair bit larger than the one Underground, but not nearly enough to house all the monsters here. Officially, they had come to witness his coronation but from the looks on their faces and the whispers that permeated the room he knew; They weren't here for him. They were here to mourn the last king, to give Asgore his las goodbyes.

From atop his dad's... HIS throne now, Asriel had a clear view of the assembled group of monsters, and among them many he recognized; Papyrus and sans, who had somehow gotten out early enough to get a front-row seat. Alphys and Mettaton, the latter clad in overtly melodramatic black mourning clothes. Several hundreds were here with even more outside Asriel was told. A screen of Royal Guards lead by Undyne separated him from them but he could still clearly see the horror, disbelief and curiosity on their faces and he could still hear their quiet whispers.

"They both look a bit too young for this, don't you think?"

"A human as queen? Stars, we almost deserve all this madness!"

"What does it matter if we have a new queen and king? We're all gonna get taken by the spirits anyway..."

"He looks so much like his dad did at his age... but what can they do? What can any of us do?"

Asriel found some satisfaction in knowing that he at least had the confidence of many monsters, but it did little to dull the ache in his heart. He felt like a usurper, that he was wearing the skin of another. His dad was the king of monsters, The Great Asgore Dreemurr, not him...

But... his dad was dead and now monsterkind looked to him and Frisk.

He winced as the crown on the top of his head slid down to hit the top of his muzzle. Asriel was a large monster by normal standards, but not as large as his dad had been, and the crown felt far too big for him to fill. He glanced to the side, to his mother. Toriel hadn't been queen for a long time but was still allowed a place of honor closer to the new king and queen. She gave a proud smile back, but it was like a small ray of sunlight through a wall of sorrow. She was strong and she made a good effort at hiding the pain of her former husband's death, but to Asriel it was clear as day. It was an incomplete picture.

One of Asriel's earliest memories of his dad was him telling, in grandiose terms, how festive and joyous his coronation would be, how he could order a fountain of hot chocolate or eat nothing but the finest snails every day once it happened. Of course it was nothing more than him pandering to Asriel's childish naivete, and it was only much later that Asriel realized his dad's coronation had been a somber experience as well, it being right after the war, but it still hurt more than he could ever have imagined to not see him next to his mother on this day, to not be there to pass on the torch in person.

For almost an hour they had been busy with the coronation. Vows had been recited, a few speeches by important monster figures had been made but it was all a blur. The hopeful, answer-seeking looks of the monsters in the hall, the constant affirmation that their fates were now in his paws, and the grueling, painful knowledge that there wasn't much he could do to save them from the maddened souls that had been unleashed upon the world.

Finally, The Royal Remembrancer, whatever that was; a person that Asriel only vaguely knew of, finished his speech and strode off the podium. Undyne, standing guard close by, gave a nod to another guard who raised a trumpet to his mouth and blew a few notes, signaling the end of the coronation. A few monsters clapped their hands and cheered but it was tame gesture overall. Asriel knew it wasn't because they hated him, it was more that the recent events; Asgore's unexpected demise and the vengeful dead returning had sapped them of all enthusiasm. Normally, there would be a party to celebrate the event, but not this time, no a single soul was in the mood.

Thus, what should have been the greatest day in Asriel's and Frisk's lives ended as quietly as it had begun. The back-most monsters slowly began filing out and everyone else soon made to follow suit.

Asriel felt a burning ember of shame in his chest. So far he had only spoken his vows of stewardship, but it was all practiced, nothing from the heart.

He wondered what his dad would so in this situation. Asgore might have been a bit of a goofball, but he still knew how to rouse the spirits of others when he put his heart into it. Monsterkind, the whole world, in fact, was facing the end. Something had to be done. Something had to be said.

…

He knew exactly what his dad would have done.

"MONSTERS!" Asriel shouted across the room as he rose from his throne. They turned, surprise and curiosity clear on their faces, but it was a sight that scared him. He hadn't really thought this far but there was no going back now. Swallowing down the lump of fear in his throat, he took a deep breath.

"I know you're all terrified and scared about all that has happened and I won't lie, yes; we could very well be witnessing the end of the world but it is for this very same reason that we cannot show fear, not now, not at this junction. My dad's... death, is a terrible thing and stars know no one misses him more than me, but we are yet unbowed. We have already gone through a long, hard fight to ensure our presence here on the surface, but now, another fight, for the very survival of not only our people, but every living creature is upon us"

He took a moment to survey the assembled monsters. He had their rapt attention for now, but... he knew he could never come close to match his dad's resilience in the face of overwhelming bleakness. Asgore had faced his parent's death, his peoples exile underground and even the dissolution of his entire family, yet he had never lost hope.

If he ever was to honor the monster his dad was, Asriel knew he could do no less.

"As long as there is life in me, I will not stop fighting for our safety. I promise you, I will not rest, I will not yield and I will not stop until the threat is contained... but I can't do it without you... I know many of you might not... think so highly of me, but I urge you, if not for me then for your fellow monsters. Together we CAN overcome this!"

The crowd began murmuring, exchanging looks between each other. Asriel couldn't hear any specifics. In truth he didn't even know what his goal was, he simply felt he had to say something to make his people know he wasn't going to sit this out.

"Kindness, hope and compassion" Frisk suddenly said and Asriel turned, finding the new queen had also risen from her throne to address the monsters.

"This is what makes monsterkind so great, this is how you have managed to survive through all the trials that have befallen us. But it might not be enough this time"

She lowered her head and a small shadow fell across her face.

"I'm still young. I wasn't alive to witness the war and its aftermath, I didn't see the despair that gripped you all when you were forced Underground... but what I do know is that each of you had the strength to persevere, to never give up, to keep striving towards a better future for all of you. We belong on the surface and no one, not some crummy politicians in a far-away city or an army of the damned is going to take it away ever again!"

"Humans and Monsters" Asriel picked up "in the end there's no difference. We will all have to fight for our homes and our very lives. We will all have to band together if we're to overcome this. What say you, monsters, are you with us?"

A great cheer of affirmation erupted from the assembled monsters. For the first time today Asriel actually felt hope. No matter that no one had any idea how to defeat the vengeful dead, they believed they could. He remembered something Undyne once told him; that the greatest weapon any warrior could have was not a sword, not an axe, not even a spear. It was hope. As long as you had that, as long as you never gave up you could never truly be defeated.

They had a long, dark road ahead of them but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance.

* * *

"That... went better than expected" Frisk mused.

"You said it. Felt more like a funeral than a coronation" Asriel replied.

After the ceremony, the two of them had retreated to a private study. Most of the monster attendees had left in good spirits but the true battles were yet ahead.

"So, to business... what the heck are we going to do?" Frisk asked, plumbing down on a chair with a sigh.

Asriel likewise made to sit down behind a desk. "Alphys said she would be looking into it, but so far she had advised that we're the ones with the best chances against the spirits so far"

"Oh? How so?"

"They're angry souls, and magic damages the soul"

"Good point. Still, I doubt there's enough magic in the world to stop them all"

"Yeah, probably not" Asriel drifted off. Turning in the chair to gaze out at the sunset.

There was silence for a few moments.

"I still can't believe Chara might be behind all of this..." Asriel suddenly began.

"We don't know that for sure" Frisk tried to console, but she didn't even believe herself. When Asriel didn't answer back, she drew courage to ask a difficult question.

"You... have never really told me much about them" Frisk began. A shiver ran over Asriel, but she continued.

"I asked mom and dad a few times, but they both said you were the one to ask, that no one knew them better than you"

"That... is true, I suppose" Asriel answered after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Frisk. I know I swore never to hold any secrets for you, but Chara... is a bit of a sensitive issue for me. I have some bad memories of them"

"But also some good ones, I can imagine?"

A smile crept across the New King's face and a small chuckle escaped his lips "More than I can count. For all their flaws Chara was an amazing person"

He turned to face Frisk, drawing a deep breath.

"Perhaps it is time I told you about them. Perhaps it is time you heard the story of the first human; how they saved me... and damned me"

* * *

Chara wasn't a very happy person. True enough, they had rarely been happy for an extended period of time but this was turning out to be a bigger pain in their ethereal butt than planned. Their first breath of fresh air in years, but not really, seeing as they had reincarnated where their body was buried, close to Home, Underground. Their first taste of freedom in stars knew how long, but not really, seeing as someone had placed a new goddamned Barrier at the entrance!

They let out a quiet sigh of frustration, trying to calm themselves, not easy considering the wailing spirits all around them screaming at being denied the feast of monster souls just outside.

"Well, this is aggravating. Any ideas?" Chara randomly asked a nearby soul, who responded by curling up on the floor and shrieking.

"Yeah, good point. Maybe there's another way out" they surmised.

They turned around, drawing a deep breath and extending their hand out, as if trying to grab a doorknob. They willed as much Determination as they could into their hand and gripped tight. Then, they violently ripped their hand aside and with the sound of the veil between worlds being torn, a sound Chara couldn't really describe with words, a black hole opened up in the air in front of them.

The other spirits were so preoccupied with despairing over not being able to follow the scent of monster souls out through the entrance to notice the new exit opened up right behind them, but Chara didn't care, the spirits were nothing but softies that had surrendered their sanity to madness long ago, a fate they would never share.

Without skipping a beat Chara stepped through the new exit. For a brief moment, they were shrouded in absolute darkness, the strange space between worlds, before suddenly exploding into the warm night sky several meters off the ground.

With a gasp of surprise and fear Chara tumbled to the ground, landing rather anti-climatically without a sound and the merest impact due to their ghostly body.

They picked themselves up and brushed the non-existing dirt off their clothes. Finally, outside! They spied a town close by, human by the looks of it. They would have to spook directions out of someone there but for now, this was a major step forward! Finally back in the world of the living! Finally outside! Finally-

A blur of movement to the side caught their eye and they turned to it. Another spirit, probably one with just enough sanity left to have followed them. They were just about to dismiss it when a detail caught their eye. Despite being transparent Chara noticed the spirit had fur, white fur and not only that, it looked...

Their breath caught in their throat for a moment. No, it wasn't Asriel, but the spirit nonetheless looked a bit like him. This one was a bit taller, a bit lankier and the face was different but... was it a Dreemurr? A Dreemurr whose soul had somehow been sent to the void?

Their hesitation cost them their one chance to ask as the monster spirit suddenly turned and darted away with a fearful look on its face.

Chara shook their head. Probably nothing more than a coincidence. Evil monsters existed as well, shouldn't come as a surprise that some of them were to be found in the void. An evil Dreemurr, though? Eh, unlikely.

With newfound purpose and Determination, The First Child strode onwards. They likely had a long way to go and with the spirits running amok they didn't have much time. But, deep down, they already knew how this would end. They had waited too long for this, and, after all...

… Not even death could stop them.


	4. Threats from Within and Without

**With the dust settled it is time for monsters and humans to come together to fight off the invasion.**

 **However, as they soon find out, hostile humans and the maddened spirits might well be the least of monsterkinds worries.**

* * *

Even after all that had happened the past year Ebott still had a small minority of anti-human monsters. Poor souls that still clung onto the past instead of the present and future, Asriel was convinced. True, humans did not contain the same amount of natural kindness and compassion that monsters did, but it was for that very same reason that human kindness was so much more valuable and precious. An overtly friendly and helpful monster? Quite common. An overtly kind and determined human? That could shape the fate of an entire race.

Frisk was a special case, he knew, but another thing was true of humans; they were a tough and determined bunch as the letter on his desk aboard The Airship could attest.

Barely a week had passed since The Void had erupted into the world in a catastrophe that had absolutely no precedence in neither human nor monster history, and already the humans had regrouped and called a meeting to discuss what needed to be done. Hordes of lost, hungering souls rampaged all across the planet and if the living were to survive, they had to act now.

Asriel would have been more than happy to participate if it weren't for the fact this "meeting" might as well be called a "trial".

Chara had been his responsibility, his failure. If there were to be trust between monsters and humans he would have reveal who was behind the invasion, his own connection to them... and how the possible end of all life could be placed at his feet.

He looked out the porthole window, seeing the rising sun flanked by dark-grey clouds. To think; barely a week into his regency and already he was headed for his first (And possibly last) world-changing international congress.

"I wish you were still here, dad... we need you so much" he whispered out loud.

"Hey don't worry. If they try and take you away I'll just use my natural charm to make them release you" Frisk quipped from a couch behind him where she was going through a stack of papers.

"I'd rather that not be needed at all"

"Asriel. These are the world leaders we're talking about. They'll understand. You were nothing more than a little kid when you and Chara died. They can't fault you for that"

"I made a mistake... sooner or later I'll have to pay for that" Asriel muttered darkly.

"I'd say you already have and then some" Frisk replied.

Asriel didn't answer, and the air in the room suddenly felt awkward, choking. Asriel was staring out the porthole window with a dark look, something totally unfitting for such a face Frisk decided.

She ripped a page out of her notebook, quickly drew a face sticking its tongue out and a few words. She then folded it into a paper airplane and with deft throw sent it flying. Asriel gave a hiss of surprise as it poked his chin.

"Wha- what's this?" he mused and unfolded it.

"What do you call a goat on a mountain?"

"A Hill-billy!" Frisk exclaimed before he could read the answer.

"A hill- pfft! Frisk, you've really dropped your game"

"At least I have a sense of humour to begin with!"

"So do I! It's the Dre-humour!"

"..."

"Oh, stars... I'm sorry Frisk..."

"I'd almost rather you'd sit there and be dark and brooding"

Asriel looked away, a smoldering ember of awkward shame in his chest. Why did things like these always sound way cooler in his head?

A pair of fingers on his chin suddenly tilted his head up and he came face to face with Frisk, eyes full of adoration.

"But that's why I love you, you silly-hilly-billy" she said, as she leaned in for a kiss.

–-

Ebott City had been a silent place for many days now, it's citizens struck either by the tragedy of the loss of their beloved or the shock of the void being unleashed on the world. Luckily, cases of monsters "falling down" were few and far between, but there was no doubt a shadow had fallen over Ebott.

The shadow Undyne stood in, however, was of a more literal composition. A large statue of King Asgore Dreemurr had been erected in front of the castle, as regal, imposing and proud as he had been in real life, which only made it all the more difficult for Undyne to stand in its shadow.

Her eye glanced over the details of the stone statue. His feet were crowded by carved flowers and plants, as fine and pruned as those he had kept in his garden. He wore his usual ceremonial armor, although with one difference; a large Delta Rune on his chest, flanked by a red and white heart, symbolic of his two children, Frisk and Asriel. He held one paw across his chest while the other was outstretched in a greeting, above, his face bore the usual friendly, goofy, yet somehow still stern demeanor it always had.

A large ring of Echo Flowers was spread out around the base of the statue, each holding a message of goodbye and mourning from the monsters of Ebott. Undyne recognized quite a few names; Grilby, most of her guards, The Skelebros, and many, many others.

"Wherever you are, big guy... I hope you at least found your peace" Undyne said under her breath. It was still such a strange feeling, knowing that the Great King wasn't around anymore. He had lived longer than anyone she knew and no matter the hardships he had never wavered; the unbreakable rock of monsters. It was like he had always been there and would have continued to be for all time. The one who had taken her under his wing, the one whose kindness had made her who she was.

"I really wish you were still here" she said as she lowered her gaze. "Frisk and Asriel's a tough bunch, no doubt about that... but I don't know if they're mature enough. Hell, even I can't help but kinda fear what's ahead..."

She reached out, placing a gauntlet on the base. As if by sheer touch the sheer sense of loss filed her.

"God...dammit..." She hissed as a single tear fell from her eye.

"U-Undyne? Are you alright?" A meek voice behind her ventured.

Undyne quickly retracted from the stature, wiping her face with an arm and dusting her hands on her greaves.

"Yeah, s-sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that... you've been away for a while now" the timid scientist, Alphys, said, nervously scratching her arm.

"Oh, well, I'm just making sure people aren't up to anything stupid, y'know, per my job"

"I'm worried about you"

"I said I'm fine! Sheesh..."

Alphys felt a lump of fear in her throat at the outburst, but managed to swallow it down. Ever since Asgore's demise Undyne had spent more and more time at work, away from home and it did get awfully lonely. Of course, with the maddened spirits loose security had to be increased but Alphys still felt that something dark had gripped her beloved.

"We all miss him, U-Undyne, but I-I don't think he would have wanted you to beat yourself up over it so much" The little monster reached a clawed hand out.

"Maybe... we could just head home? I-I got some new animes! An-and we could make some of those Instant Chili Noodles you like!"

A ghost of an appreciative smile crept across Undyne's face, before it fell down once more.

"Don't beat myself up, huh?"

"U-Undyne?"

"Y'know, Alphys... I'm a pretty shallow person"

"What!?"

The Captain glanced back up at the statue in reverence. She drew in a deep breath.

"All I've ever wanted is to beat on people, people tougher and stronger than me, that is. For the longest time, the only thing that could give me any meaningful amount of satisfaction was the sight of my enemy defeated before me... That was, until he knocked some sense into me"

"He-he taught you how to beat him, right?"

"Fufufufu! He did so much more than that. He gave me a purpose greater than just beating on people. If not for him... I'd just be another piece of street trash prowling the night"

"I'm sure he was proud of the person you became, Undyne"

"Heh... maybe" Undyne sighed and Alphys could clearly sense her reticence.

"Perhaps he would... if I hadn't failed him at the very end..." The Captain suddenly began again.

"Wha- what do you mean!?"

"I'm a Royal Guard, Alphys, the captain, as a matter of fact. It's literally in my job title to guard the royalty... and I didn't"

"But he ordered you to escape with his kids, didn't he?"

"I still left him behind to die, Alphys. The one person who made me who I am..."

She looked aside in shame, breathing a heavy sigh. Alphys took a few seconds to digest this new revelation. Everyone in Ebott had been saddened by Asgore's demise, but she had been foolish to think it wouldn't have hit Undyne harder than most others.

"There will always be a lot of 'what-if's' in life, Undyne, but those are not important. Don't you think if Asgore was alive he'd tell you to cheer up? To support his children like you supported him?Undyne, you are one of the bravest and coolest persons I know; it's alright to be sad, but you didn't fail him. He asked you to save his children because he trusted you with their safety. If you really want to make him proud then maybe... you could continue to do that?"

For a few tense moments, there was nothing but silence and Alphys felt an awkward blush rise inside her. It wasn't like her to go out on a limb like this, but seeing Undyne in such pain had forced her hand.

Suddenly, a weak chuckle emerged from Undyne. "Fufufu, got all that from an anime or something?"

"What? Uh, no, I-I mean, maybe, uh, some of it but... well, it's still true... I think..."

"Heh, I suppose it is... say, you mentioned something about anime and chili instant noodles?"

"You get to choose the episode and I'll make you a double portion!"

"You're on! Last one there is a-"

"CAPTAIN UNDYNE! CAPTAIN UNDYNE!" Dogaressa suddenly barked as she emerged from a street corner and ran at her, her mate in tow.

Undyne grunted in annoyance. Lately, her guards had been more riled up than usual, barking at everything that seemed out of order. This was probably more of that.

"What's up?" She demanded.

"Captain Undyne! The, uhh, King has taken the crown! And he's sitting on the throne!"

"What are you talking about? Asriel left for a meeting this morning. He won't be back until much later"

"No! Not Asriel! The New King!"

"Asriel IS the New King!"

"No! It's not Asriel, but it's the, uhh, he called himself "The True King". Can you come look?"

Undyne and Alphys shared a nervous look, before The Captain shrugged, rolled her shoulders to get her pauldrons back in place before making to go investigate.

"Whelp, I'd better. Probably just a gang of temmies that have broken in the wardrobe and stolen some clothes"

"Do you... do you want me to come with you?" Alphys timidly asked.

"Hah! Why not! Not as fun as watching anime but you can tell me about the new ones you mentioned on the way there" She kneeled down and with a practiced jump the little scientist sat down on her shoulders. As one they marched down to the castle, Alphys gleefully rattling off details about the newest series and Undyne enjoying every moment of it.

–-

As feared, Asriel's and Frisk's reception at the meeting had been somewhat... lukewarm.

"The monsters are behind this calamity! I'm sure of it!" A red-headed, bald and round man had roared almost immediately, nearly frothing at the mouth.

"Honored Chancellor, the monsters very own king was among the first to be slain by these spirits" A more level-headed woman had countered.

"A coup then! Treason within treason, as is the want of these creatures!"

"Your opinion is, as always, of indescribable value, Honored Chancellor, but perhaps a more rational approach is in order?" another human chimed in.

Asriel had been somewhat heartened by the support. Monsterkind had enjoyed a great deal of goodwill in recent times and for a while, he hoped the outcome of the meeting might not be as bleak as he had feared.

That hope had slowly been dashed as the assembled world leaders began recounting the losses suffered already. Stories of whole cities lost, losses of life reached into the hundreds of thousands, of refugees flooding what they thought were safe areas, causing chaos, panic, and disorder.

All of which could be placed at Chara's, and by extension, his feet.

The leaders themselves were a haggard bunch, with ruffled clothes and weary eyes that told him that none of them had had much sleep recently. They weren't alone in that department, Asriel admitted to himself.

"Heads up. It's your turn in a minute" Frisk advised, nudging an elbow into his side to rouse him.

"You know, strictly speaking, you don't have to tell them about you and Chara if you don't want to"

"Please, don't try and convince me to stop, Frisk, you might just succeed"

"Well... whatever you do I'm with you 110% of the way!"

Asriel merely nodded his thanks. Almost immediately as he did, the heads of the assembled leaders slowly turned to him.

"King Asriel" one of them began "As far as we understand, aside from your previous king, my condolences, by the way, monsterkind has been relatively untouched by this... invasion?"

"That is correct"

"How convenient!" The balding man from before suddenly burst "I'm telling you all this is a conspiracy! A plot I say! To wipe humanity off the map!"

"That's quite enough out of you, Honored Chancellor!" The Speaker from before barked, silencing the dissenter before turning back to Asriel with an almost pleading look.

"King Asriel... while we would never accuse you of being directly behind this calamity, some things... just fit too well"

Asriel gulped down a lump of fear. This was it then; the question to decide whether he would ever see Ebott again.

"If you... have any knowledge about how this could happen, or even better, how to stop it, I implore you, for the sake of every living thing, you must tell this council"

"Moment of truth" Frisk said at his side.

Asriel face fell as he took a deep breath. Yes, that was what this was about after all. Truth.

"Many... many years ago, while we were still trapped in The Underground a human came to us, a human child... they were called Chara"

–-

By the time Undyne arrived at the castle she was well and truly wound up. By Alphy's description, she was missing out on a blast of a time in order to check on a few scared mutts.

Some tails were gonna get yanked today!

As she stepped into the entry hall, Alphys still on her shoulders, she both saw and heard the confusion amongst her guards posted here and she growled a sigh of annoyance.

She gently put Alphys down and marched up to the mutts in a menacing manner.

"Ca-captain Undyne!" They yelped as they noticed her.

"Now what kind of mess did you get yourselves into now?" She barked.

"He-he just came in out of the blue and into the throne room!"

"And why didn't you do your job?"

"Wha-?"

"Y'know, stop him? You being guards and all?"

"Well... because he's the king!"

Undyne buried her face in her palm, taking a deep breath to drown the rising anger.

"You guys have been digging into the discount biscuits again, haven't you?"

"Uhh..."

"Read my lips. Asriel is the king. Asriel isn't here. He's in the human capital. Whoever's in the throne room isn't the king"

"Bu-but that's what he said!"

"SO YOU JUST BELIEVED HIM AND LET HIM IN!?"

The guards yelped and cowered beneath the raging captain, scared that any attempt at explanation might just provoke her further and that running away might do the same.

"Uhhm, maybe... we should go take a look?" Alphys meekly suggested, tugging at Undyne's arm from behind. "I mean, I-I doubt just anyone could just walk past or convince all your guards to let them into the throne room"

Undyne's shoulders rose and fell with angered breaths "You'd better be right about that" she hissed, eliciting another scared whimper before stomping up the stairs leading to the throne rooms double doors

With a mighty push, she forced them open. If the news of her confused and bamboozled mutts hadn't angered her, the sight before her now did. Someone was there alright, some kind of jokester with his back turned, so almost all they could see was a long, flowing, purple cape with a Delta Rune and a white-furred head topped by an impressive set of horns.

But most insulting of all was that, whoever this was, he was holding the royal crown up to the light in front of him, examining it as if it was nothing more than a fine piece of porcelain.

"In the name of the Royal Guard of Ebott put the crown down before I kick your ass so hard you'll get a panoramic view of Mount Ebott!" Undyne ordered strongly, making Alphys gulp out of fright behind her.

The stranger's reaction was much more subdued, however, lowering the crown to his chest and chuckling.

"Huh, wow, I guess your guards were right to be nervous. I should probably go and apologize to them for putting them in this position. You have quite a commanding presence, Captain Undyne"

Undyne was about to repeat her order when she noticed... something... in the air. Magic. A lot of it. Powerful. And his voice, it was like it was... echoing, as if several versions of him were speaking at almost the exact same time.

A slight tingle of suspense went over the captain "Who are you?" She asked.

"Ah, that is the crux of the situation, isn't? A lonesome stranger, just waltzing into your palace, pawing your... well, my crown, I suppose. I had hoped your newly-minted king was here but perhaps it's better this way. Going to make for one wild surprise when he returns, don't you think?"

He turned around, revealing the rest of his richly embroidered regal robes that accompanied the fine cape. Undyne recognized it as a style used by monster nobility from very, VERY long time ago. Way before even the war between monsters and humans.

But that was the least of her surprises.

The face. A Dreemurr. There could be no doubt about it.

"But to answer your question; I am the oldest living member of the Royal Family, which means that I, **my** dear captain...

...is your true king"

* * *

 **With the** **veil** **between the void and the world of the living torn, countless maddened, evil spirits are free to return.** **But not all of them have lost their mind, and some of them are connected to still-living persons in some way.**

 **So, uhh, I suppose you could see this chapter as the beginning of a kind of arc within the story. A small idea I came up with.**

 **The ThroneTaker Arc!**


	5. Dark Succesion

**New troubles have come to Ebott, one that threatens to undo all that the inhabitants have strived for.**

 **But... what exactly is the nature of his threat?**

 **Let's find out.**

* * *

If heading to the meeting with the human leaders had felt like going to his execution, leaving it had felt like a temporary stay of it; invigorating, yet with the rueful knowledge that they were far from safe.

Now, aboard The Airship headed home, all Asriel and Frisk could do was wait.

"King Asriel Dreemurr, based on your testimony and what time was allowed us to debate, the council finds it unjust to hold you responsible for Chara's crimes. We acknowledge that you were a minor at the time of your incident, and the full scope of the consequences of your actions was beyond your, probably everyone's, ability to fully fathom...

...However, it is our hope that this will not keep you from doing everything in your power to remedy your mistake. All our attempts at stopping these spirits have failed. We need you.

Please, Queen Frisk Dreemurr and King Asriel Dreemurr... save our world"

So that was it then. Now, not only monsterkind's, but the fate of the whole world rested on their shoulders, already feeling like a leaden weight that seemed to crush the air our of Asriel.

Perhaps it would have been better if they had simply found him guilty there and then. Remove his responsibilities from him. It would have been so much easier Asriel pondered.

"You know, that spokeswoman was a pretty fine piece" Frisk suddenly quipped from the couch in his cabin. "Wouldn't mind taking her aside for a 'heated debate'"

'Enter Frisk' Asriel thought with a small chuckle. "Didn't know you had a thing for older women" he answered.  
"I married a goat monster, why would a human be strange?"  
"Ouch, touchè"

"..."  
"You worry too much, Azzy"  
"Huh? Wha- What!?" Asriel spluttered at the sudden statement.  
"Frisk! The fate of the whole world rests on us, if anything I feel like I worry too little!"  
"There's a lot asked of us, sure, but that's why it's even more important we take what breaks we can, and you, my caprine compatriot, need to learn how to relax" Frisk said as she rose from the couch.  
Asriel, on the other hand, slumped deeper into his chair with a resigned sigh.  
"Wish I could... I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since all this started. It feels like it's all been one long Nightmare. I just – ah ahhhh"  
Frisk had moved up behind him and sneakily moved her hands to the inside of his long ears to deliver some firm scratches. Asriel became like pudding in her hands, melting even further into the seat, eyes closed in pure bliss and tongue looping out his mouth.

"There we go. Much better than all that doom and gloom, right?" Frisk cooed.  
"Uh huh"  
"Now, I want you to forget all about this war, the spirits, and Chara just for now"  
"*bleat*"  
"Hah! Cute...remember our honeymoon? The 4 corners of The Earth aboard our airship here"  
"Ungh"  
"First time I've ever been outside Ebott on an actual leisure trip... best time of my life too... and it was all with, and because, of you"  
"Buh"  
"Wasn't even all that long ago but... sure feels like it's been ages, though. Always so busy"  
"Ehh"  
"But that only makes moments like these so much more precious. Whether we live or die at the end of all this I want you to know... I have no regrets. I love you, you silly goat"  
"Bleeh"  
"Huh, there's that refugee camp The Royal Guard talked about"  
"Guuuh, eh, what?"

Trough the haze of pleasure flooding his mind Asriel was just barely able to crack an eyelid to look out the window. There, on the outskirts of Ebott City, a new suburb of tents had sprung up seemingly overnight. The news that Ebott City had gone untouched by the soul-stealing spirits had spread and many humans had fled there for safety.  
If he had been a more vindictive monster Asriel might have gloated that just a few years ago, humans had tried to isolate Ebott and monsterkind as much as possible, now they were fleeing to them for safety. But of course, the two situations couldn't be compared and as King of Ebott their protection now fell to him.

"Seems much bigger than when we left this morning" Frisk mused.  
"No kidding. I don't even know if we can house that many"  
"We're not turning them away, Azzy"  
"Of course not... in fact, why don't we go greet our new neighbors?"

* * *

As chaotic as the tent town looked from above, it was surprisingly orderly once you went deeper in. Asriel and Frisk were somewhat surprised to find Royal Guards scattered throughout the tent-town in order to keep the peace.  
For most monsters, The Royal Guard had a bit of a 'funny' reputation. They enforced order, but with their ranks filled with so many goofy canines, they weren't always taken seriously, the only exception being their captain. They were tall, however, and clad in their gleaming armor and wielding their halberds they did impose some semblance of order on the scared refugees.

As Frisk and Asriel entered the town the guards saluted them, but the 2 monarchs quickly turned their attention elsewhere.

Frisk sat down with a bunch of despondent-looking kids and offered words of encouragement. Asriel, for his part, strode into a tent that seemed to be turned over for hospital use.  
The inside had a sour stink of sweat, blood and medicine, and along the walls were rows of bunk beds with injured and sick humans.

"Eyy, look, another dog monster" one of them quipped as he entered.  
"Wash your eyes, ya dolt. Look at its ears, it's obviously a rabbit monster"  
"A rabbit? With those kinds of horns?"  
"Well, it's a, whaddya call it, a Wolpertinger!"  
"A Wolpertinger? The hell is a Wolpertinger?"  
"A rabbit with horns"  
"Pfft, you just made that up, didn't ya?"  
"I did not!"  
"Did too!"

"If it's all the same to you gentlemen, I am often referred to as a 'goat monster'" Asriel interrupted with a friendly nod.  
"What, really? A goat monster?"  
"Yup"  
"That's stupid"  
"Oh... well, I'm sorry... I guess...?" Asriel said with a shrug before turning the 2 patients from his mind, but at least somewhat relieved none of them had recognized him as the King of the place they were seeking shelter in

Instead, he walked over to a young woman with her arm in a heavy cast and an uncomfortable expression on her face.  
She looked up as he approached "He-hello?"  
"Howdy" Asriel replied, for a moment at a loss for words. He hadn't really thought this far.  
"Can I... help you in any way?" He offered.  
"Ah, the doctors already put my cast on... but..."  
"But?"  
"It... still hurts so bad"

Without a word Asriel gently placed a paw on the cast and a warm, soothing light shone from it.  
"Wait, what are you- wha- ah" the woman's face changed from one of concern to relief and as Asriel removed his paw she lifted her arm up.  
"It doesn't hurt anymore!"  
"Just a little bit of monster magic, nothing special"  
"Wow, that's, uhh, th-thank you, mister"  
He nodded "Welcome to Ebott"

For the next half an hour Asriel proceeded through the medical tent, offering what aid he could. An elderly man with a badly stitched wound that leaked infected blood, a young child with a high fever, and an older woman with her head wrapped in bloody gauze, all were visited by the strange white-furred monster and alleviated of their pains.

Using so much magic took a tool and as he finished Asriel felt weary, but happy.  
"In all my years I have never seen anything like that"  
He turned finding what would appear to be the nurse of the place.  
"Oh, it was nothing. The least I could do"  
"It wasn't nothing. Without your help, some of these people might have died"  
The nurse looked aside "If only you had come sooner..."  
"What do you mean"  
"We've... been on the run for more than a week now, barely had time to stop and tend to our wounded and sick and... last night... it was too late for some of us"  
"What happened?"  
"6 kids... been sick for a while but they passed away last night, all the same time"  
"That's horrible!"  
"Yeah, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Their relatives are giving them their last goodbyes just outside"

* * *

If growing up among monsters could be said to have one drawback, it would be that you were ill-prepared for some of the grim truths of the world. Monsters could be incredibly long-lived and deaths, even of natural causes, were incredibly rare.

Which was why Frisk was surprised a just how much the scene in front of her affected her.  
6 children, laid side-by-side, hands folded neatly on their chests and with their grieving families above them. It was all Frisk could do not to fall on her knees and join them.

She felt someone walk up to her side.  
"What a tragedy..." Asriel said.  
She nodded "We have to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Not in Ebott"  
"And we will, don't worry"  
He reached up to put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Despite the hustle and bustle, the air seemed quiet save for the silent sobbing of the grieving humans.

If only they had gotten here sooner, indeed.

Asriel suddenly noticed how one of the humans, a mother to one of the dead kids, stared at him, first with curiosity... and then of boundless hate.

"You!" She hissed "You did this! I saw you last night! You sneaked into my daughter's tent and when I came in she was dead! YOU TOOK MY DAUGHTER FROM ME!"

"Wha-what?" Asriel barely managed, taking a step back in shock.  
"Yeah! I saw it too! A white-furred monster with horns and robes like his!" Another parent, a father joined in.  
All around them humans threw Asriel accusatory and hateful glares. As one they closed in in a circle around him and Frisk.  
"How dare you come back! You monster!"  
"We're gonna make you pay!"  
"Child Murderer!"

"No! I'm not-" Asriel said before a thrown rock impacted on his chest, knocking the air out of him.

This was... this was almost just like last time... a group of angry humans crowding around him, baying for his dust, accusing him of murdering a human child. He almost imagined that if he looked down, he would see Chara's pale, lifeless corpse in his arms or that if he stopped to listen he would hear them yelling at him to fight back.  
"No... Not... again..."

The sheer sense of deja-vu made it darken around his eyes. He was dimly aware of Frisk steeping in front him, spreading her arms wide in protection as she shouted at the approaching humans to back off. He could barely move a finger himself, it was all too surreal. Too sudden.

A pair of humans suddenly broke from the group and ran at him, one wielding an iron pipe. He swung it over his head and for just a second Asriel saw the scene of his first death mirrored in the metal, even as it came down to cause his second.

Just before it did, a row of blue energy spears suddenly shot up from the ground, knocking the nearest humans back in shock, but not stopping them entirely.

"Shake it off, kid. These punks are out for dust" A strong hand suddenly grabbed him by his horns and pulled him up.  
"Huh? Undyne?"  
"When we get out of here you can call me the savior of your butt, but sure, Undyne's about right" The captain answered as she roughly pulled him back, followed by Frisk.  
A ring of Royal Guards surrounded them to cover their escape, their pointed halberds finally stopping the humans advance... but not their threats.

"We know your face now! You can't hide!"  
"We'll find you! We'll hurt you!  
"On the memory of my son, I will have vengeance!"

After a while Asriel finally recovered enough of his sense to walk on his own and as they neared the exit of the camp the sounds of the threats began to die off.  
"Stars alive, as if we didn't have enough trouble without you stirring up another hornet's nest" Undyne sighed, yet not with an accusatory tone, Asriel noticed.  
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened back there" Asriel said.  
"They just suddenly went wild and started pointing fingers! They... they would have killed us" Frisk added.  
"But I... I didn't kill those children!"  
"I know you didn't..." Undyne breathed.  
"I'd rather die than... wait, what did you just say?"  
"I know you didn't kill them, because I think I already know who did... there's something you gotta see. Both of you"  
"What is it?" Asriel asked.  
"Well, best way to describe it would be...

… you ancestor"

* * *

Already this day had been an extremely eventful one. A meeting that could decide the future of the world, a riot in the refugee camp that had almost ended fatally and yet that was not to be the last, or even the worst of the day.

No, that sight was right in front of the 2 monarchs.

Upon the throne of Ebott now sat another. He looked a lot like himself, Asriel noted. White fur, similar robes but with an ancient design, the same caprine features as all Dreemurrs had and with an impressive set of horns that were both curled.

On either side of him sat 2 scantily clad monsters, a feline and a canine, one was hand-feeding him from a cluster of grapes while the other waved a large fan.

Asriel and Frisk might have found it extremely vulgar, under more normal circumstances.

The monster on the throne cracked an eyelid, as he noticed Frisk and Asriel he suddenly jumped up and spread his arms wide.

"Hah! There you are at last! You've kept me waiting, you rascals!" He beamed. His voice carried an aristocratic tone and almost seemed to echo, as if there were more of him speaking at once.

He descended down towards them. As he did, Asriel became aware of something strange in the air... magic, and a lot of it.

"Asriel Dreemurr! The Hero-Prince of monsters! The Returned! The Dragon of Ebott! You've really made a name for yourself haven't you?"  
"Uhh"

The stranger turned to Frisk with an even bigger smile.  
"And Frisk Dreemurr. The Determined Child. The Unyielding. The One who made it all possible. The stories about you are legend, yet, might I say, they don't even come close to describing your true beauty"  
He leaned down to gently pick up her hand and placed a kiss on it. There was a sense of old-world nobility in his movements. A sense of grace.

"My, oh my. It would seem there's more than just one gentle-goat around" Frisk said with a playful smile.  
"It runs in the family, as I'm sure Asriel here has shown you. If not, I could always-"  
"Excuse me, but... who are you?" Asriel butted in, annoyed at the current course of the conversation.  
The Stranger's smile was immediately replaced with embarrassed realization.  
"Oh golly, I completely forgot! My sincerest apologies, I was just simply enraptured at finally meeting you two living legends! Please, allow me to rectify my mistake"

He took a step back and performed the most sincerest court-like bow Asriel had ever seen. Even the practice his mother had given him in such formalities didn't even come close. He noticed how his fur was a tint darker than his own, and whereas Asriel had emerald-green eyes, The Stranger's were a cold sapphire-blue.

"My name is Parides Dreemurr, of The Royal House Dreemurr. The honour, as they say, is all mine"

A Dreemurr... Asriel had guessed as much yet it still came as a shock. Where in the world had he come from?  
He must have noticed Asriel's flabbergasted look for as he stood back up he suppressed a small laugh.  
"Heh, its good to see The Dreemurr name still inspires such awe, even amongst our own"  
"Uhh, oh, I'm sorry, I... just wasn't aware I had any living relatives, other than my mother" Asriel managed.  
"Well, truth be told you didn't, but as you might have noticed, there's not much difference between 'living' and 'dead' recently"

A shiver ran down Asriel's back.  
"So you... you came from The Void?" Frisk asked.  
"And never going back! I don't want to see that miserable hell-hole ever again! Now, I want to LIVE!" Parides almost shouted. He turned to the side and snapped his fingers at a servant. One neither Frisk nor Asriel could remember having employed at the castle, namely because they didn't have servants in the first place.

"Hey you! Fetch us some more of that snail-brandy! And some Butterscotch-Cinnamon pie for our 2 returning heroes here! We're gonna have a GREAT TIME!"

Yet all Frisk and Asriel could feel was a sinking feeling of fear and suspicion. Quite clearly Parides came from The Void, which meant that he had died once. But even more worrying...

… Only souls filled heavy with LOVE went to The Void upon death.

"Ah, Parides, there's really no need for that" Frisk interrupted"  
"Y-yeah, we do have some business to attend to" Asriel added. He straightened his back and tried to appear as regal as possible.  
"But as kin of House Dreemurr, you are, of course, more than welcome to anything and everything we have to offer. This castle is as much your home as it is ours"

For a few seconds, Asriel was answered with nothing but silence and Parides's confused stare. Then, slowly, his face scrunched up and his cheeks puffed out, as if he was holding back a thunderous laugh.  
"Oh, pfft, r-really? I'm, hah! We-we-welcome... to... PFFT- WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Stranger doubled over, his echoing laughter loud enough that it felt like the very castle was shaking from it.  
Frisk and Asriel shared a nervous glance as Parides finally picked himself up from rolling on the floor laughing.  
"Oh, oh stars, no!... my sides..." he wheezed.  
"I... can't really see what's so funny" Asriel said.  
"We- well, haha! It's the implied audacity... I mean, I would bloody well hope I was welcome to anything and everything in **my kingdom** , right?" Parides answered.  
"... What did you just say?"  
"Hehehe, exactly what I said...

 **...This kingdom and everyone and everything within it... is mine by right** "

The shiver on Asriel's back crawled upwards and settled like a coiled noose around his neck. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This HAD to be a joke.

"On what ground do you base that claim?" A regal voice behind them called out. One he recognized.  
"Mom?" Frisk said, asking the question on his mind.  
Sure enough, just entering the throne room, was his mother, Toriel. Paws folded neatly in front of her. She wore her royal robes, something she almost never did nowadays, and her stare was focused squarely on Parides. She looked like the absolute image of indignified regal nobility. Despite not being her target, Asriel felt himself shrink at the sheer scrutiny and distrust in his mother's eyes.

"Ah, you must be The Lady of Ebott, Toriel, correct?" Parides posed.  
"Flattery will get you nowhere" She replied coldly.  
"Then maybe an answer to your question will. I base my right to the crown on the simple fact that we're still a hereditary monarchy"  
"And?"  
"Which means that the first-born becomes ruler. And since I got, oh, I'd say at least a few thousand years on all of you, that means me!" He said, jerking a thumb towards himself with a self-assured smile.  
Toriel was unmoving, her face as if cast in stone.  
"It takes more than simple tradition to rule our people"  
"It does, but unless you're willing to go back on our entire racial history that still means my claim to the crown is the strongest"

Toriel regarded him with an icy coldness, never flinching an inch.  
"Frisk, Asriel, my children, if you would meet me outside" she said and turned to leave.  
"Woops! Looks like I made her mad!" Parides said with a faux-shameful look.  
"Whelp, better not keep your mama waiting, I'll be waiting on my throne if you-"  
"One question" Asriel interrupted. His paws were clenched at his side in quiet frustration. To think someone, even if it was technically family, would just almost literally walk out of their grave and take away everything his dad had died for. It made his dust boil... but there was one other thing on his mind.

"Just a short while ago... I was almost lynched by humans claiming I had killed their kids. I didn't, but they said someone looking like me did" He glared at Parides with almost the same anger the parents had with him.  
"Did you have something to do with that?... Parides?"

For the first time since meeting him, Parides had an expression other than mischief. He looked aside in slight embarrassment and scratched his neck.  
"I... didn't kill them, per say"  
"Parides..." Asriel growled, feeling his magic pour into his paws were it formed as small flames  
"I mean it. I didn't kill them. I just... they were dying anyway, so I asked them if I could take their souls. I told them they would live forever, and they could help me save everyone, even those they loved. It's because of them I got my body back and I'm not like those other spirits, as substantial as an angry, soul-thirsty fart"

'6 human souls... that explained the sense of powerful magic in the room' Asriel thought.

It also meant that Parides was nearly as powerful as The Absolute God of Hyperdeath, he realized with a sudden, sinking feeling.

Parides slowly spread his arms wide. A flash of shining colors shot out of his body. They formed into rays, each trailing with heart-shaped souls that settled in a circle around him.

It was a sight as beautiful and terrifying as the first time Asriel had seen it... but this time there was another, perhaps even more horrifying detail.

In the middle of the circle was another soul. A boss monster soul, no doubt Parides's.

But...

It was missing a piece.

The True Soul of Parides Dreemurr, The Thronetaker, The New Ruler of Monsters... was only 2/3 of a whole...

* * *

 **In the blink of an eye, the fate of monsterkind has been placed in the hands of a stranger, one that seems to have ill intentions.**

 **And, with perhaps a slight danger of spoiling the character, maybe I could give a little hint about the new stranger.**

 **Just like 'Asriel' is an anagram for 'Serial', Parides is also an anagram...**


	6. Games of Wills and Fates

**Lotta chattin' & yappin' in this one, and also a fair bit of headcanon regarding **monsterkind **of old, though, most of it is pretty non-essential.**

* * *

Near the back of the royal castle, in a section so secluded and isolated only a few knew of it, was a small garden. Not long ago, one could often find a large monster roaming around here whenever he needed to clear his head or a break from the duties of ruling a kingdom, watering can and garden shears in paw, humming a gentle tune as he went about pruning and keeping the plants.

Alas, that monster was now dead and the garden maintained by a small group of Vegetoids employed as Royal Groundskeepers.

Nevertheless, it was still the closest Asriel could feel to his dad, now that he was gone. He had passed the torch on to his children, only for it to be crudely stolen from them by a devious ancestor.

The thought filled Asriel with equals part anger and shame.

Since stealing the crown a day ago, Parides had wasted no time availing him of all the luxuries and pleasantries available to him as a king, while mostly ignoring all his duties. Converting a guest room to his personal massage parlor, hiring court jesters and courtesans for his own amusement, even demolishing a nearby park so it could be converted into his personal swimming pool. Each moment Parides wore the crown was an insult to his dad's memory and what he died for...

… But what could he do? In spite of everything, Parides Dreemurr had the strongest claim to the title of King of Monsters, and even if he didn't he was quite possibly the most powerful being in existence. He couldn't be toppled with neither force nor decree.

It was a big mess and the reason Asriel had come to the garden late in the evening. The star-lit sky above him soothed with gentle lights and the warm, summer-evening air gave a pleasant atmosphere. If he kept quiet and listened it was like he could almost hear his dad rustling and bustling between the bushes...

…

They hadn't even been able to recover his dust... but if they had Asriel had no doubt the garden would be the place to spread it. The Great Asgore had been a peaceful, almost artistic monster at heart and the care and love that went into his little garden was evidence of that, only fair it could keep being that even in death.

He heard the door behind him open, and footsteps on gravel.

"Ah, there you are. Been wondering where you were hiding"

The voice alone was enough to make Asriel bare his teeth in quiet frustration. "Parides" he greeted, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"Woah, nice place you got here. I didn't even know about it" Parides said as he sat down beside him on the bench. Asriel had to concentrate hard in order to keep his rising anger from manifesting as a fireball in his paw, but Parides's mere presence here was almost too great an insult to bear. It was like he polluted the place just by being here.

"Not as... expansive as The Royal Botanical Garden back in my day, but I can see there's been put some care into the plants" The new king noted.

Asriel glanced over at the unwelcome guest to his side. Parides's fur had a wet sheen to it and he wore a no doubt incredibly expensive purple silken bathrobe. Probably having just finished a luxurious session at the new royal bathhouse he had installed on the side of the castle. In his paw, he held a fine goblet filled with what smelled like expensive snail brandy. Add his annoying aristocratic accent on top and he was the perfect image of the decadent lord, living it large inside his castle while the lands around him burned.

"My... dad liked coming here. Take his mind off things" Asriel said, not entirely successful at keeping his scorn out of his voice.

Parides seemed to have noticed as he suddenly took a deep breath.

"Asriel, descendant... listen, I... realize we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. I mean, I show up practically out of the blue and snatch your kingdom and title out of your paws. Who wouldn't be slightly miffed at that?"

Asriel merely grunted.

"And, well, I had spent thousands of years in that cold, empty hellhole called The Void, so... I might have been kinda excited and I... Might have said some things I didn't really mean"

Asriel craned his neck to look at the imposter, intrigued by this sudden turn. The words were there but his snobbish tone of voice made it hard to tell whether he was being sincere or not.

"So, how about we clear the air between us by playing a little game?" Parides said, offering a coy smile.

"What kind of game?"

"Oh, nothing serious. Don't worry, it's not like I'm gonna take your soul or anything if you lose, hehe!"

"What kind of game?" Asriel repeated sourly.

"It's like this. I have "been away" from the world of the living for quite some time, so there's a lot of new things to get used to, lot of events I have missed. So, the game is like this...

… I ask you a question about, well, anything, really, about the world and such. If I find your answer satisfactory, you get to ask me a question!" he finished with glee.

"Questions about what?"

"The same... and I think it's something you'd like!"

"Hmm?"

"When I was alive, uhh, the first time, I mean, The Kingdom of Monsters was at it's absolute most powerful. Human nations from all over the world scrambled to bear witness to our magnificent cities. We were the undisputed masters of magics, mystics, and souls, and at its heart was a people and culture more refined than any other at its time!"

Asriel felt a swell of fiery excitement in his chest. Perhaps this game could be interesting after all.

"Now, I visited the... 'Librarby' is that how it's spelled?"

"Yup"

"Oh, ok. Well, I went there earlier today and I couldn't help but notice the History Section was kinda... limited"

"Much was lost in the monster-human war" Asriel explained "The few monster's that escaped barely did so with their lives"

"That makes sense, I suppose" Parides agreed with a nod of the head "But... that also means that I am the last living, and as it happens, greatest repository of knowledge about our people's past. So whaddya say, descendant? If I like your answers to my questions you get to ask me about anything between sky and dirt about, well, anything! Then I ask you, then you me, back and forth"

Asriel did his best to keep a calm demeanor, but inside he was almost giggling with excitement. Books and knowledge about the history and culture of monsterkind before The War were almost non-existent and stories about monsterkind's past had always been his favorite, even the made-up ones his mother told him as a kid.

"Alright, Parides, I'll... I'll play your game"

"Excellent!" Parides exclaimed and threw his arms wide.

"And just to show I bear no ill will towards you, and that I am such a magnanimous ruler, I'll even allow you to ask the first question!"

Asriel paused for a few seconds... to think, an entire wealth of knowledge about his people's past and it could only be spoon-fed him one question at a time. There was so much he wanted to know about; The Dreemurr family of old, extinct types and species of monsters, general history...

…

… But no, he had to focus on the present and future. Parides was perhaps the greatest threat to Ebott. If he ever wanted to somehow dethrone him, he needed more information about him in particular.

"Who... are you, exactly?" Asriel asked.

A coy smile came across Parides's face and he leaned back on the bench "I offer you knowledge about everything of our past and you choose to know more about me? Heh, I suppose I should be flattered"

"I, uhh"

"But to answer your question; I am Parides Dreemurr, one-time prince and presently King of Monsters. Heir to Paron and Talides Dreemurr and born under the Constellation of Renounced Fates" He cocked his head to the side "Does that answer your question?"

Asriel swore inwardly. It really didn't but he couldn't say Parides hadn't just told him a great deal about himself, there was just not really anything he could use.

At least, it didn't seem like it.

"Constellation of Renounced Fates? Haven't heard of that before" Asriel said.

"What, really? It's one of the most dual-natured constellations to be born under. It's said that those that are will at some point in their life have the chance to dramatically alter their fate... for better or worse. Never put much stock into it but I suppose it was pretty accurate this time around. I mean, me coming back to life to save all of monsterkind" Parides said with a self-assured smile.

"I... don't think that's something we use anymore. Constellations, I mean"

"Ah, because you were trapped underground for so long I can imagine" Parides said with a somewhat disappointed sigh. "A shame, really. Astromancy was a real quirk our society had to stand apart"

"Astromancy? Sounds like magic involving stars"

"Close. Back in my day, we used to worship the stars. The humans had their gods, but we prayed to something more... tangible. The Stars Above"

Parides reached an open paw out. A small pile of his dust appeared in it. "The Astromancers, our "priests" I guess you could say, stated that monsters were born of the stars. Whenever a new monster was born, it was said it was actually a star that had come down from the heavens to take form as one of us. In fact, our holy texts never even referred to us a 'monsters', rather, we were called 'Star-Born'. We even had a small contingent of human believers that called us "Star Monsters".

"Star Monsters..." Asriel repeated with wonder, as he looked up at the twinkling night sky. He knew that stars had always had some kind of meaning to monsters. Back in The Underground there were several crystals in the cavern ceilings that could be mistaken for stars and it was a common superstition that if you whispered your deepest desire to them, your wish would be granted. Asriel used to believe it himself and stars were among his favorite kind of iconography.

And besides 'Star Monster' was among the coolest things he had ever heard.

"It's all a bunch of hyperbolic nonsense, though" Parides suddenly expressed with a grunt, taking Asriel away from his thoughts.

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. In the end, we monsters are nothing more than dust" he gestured to the dust in his paw "Dust held together and kept alive by our souls and magic. The stars have nothing to do with it" He threw the dust to the wind. Against the dark background of the night, the glittering and twinkling monster dust could easily be mistaken for stars.

"Where were the stars when the Monster-Human War broke out? I'll tell you, they were millions of miles away, not giving a goddamn about any of us" he said bitterly.

Asriel felt bitterness as well, but for a different reason. Hearing Parides denouncing Astromancy and the stars like that made him feel like a small kid getting told The Giftman of Giftmass wasn't real.

A small, amused chuckle suddenly escaped Parides "Oh, Asriel, you sly dog. Here you ask me about myself and I end up giving you a lecture about Astromancy. Gotta keep my guard up, it seems"

"It's your turn, then" Asriel simply answered.

"Right... hey, wait a minute, if you have forgotten all about Astromancy why do you have banners of The Constellation of Prophesied Reunion all over the place?" Parides asked.

"We do? Where?"

"Well, there! For example" Parides said and pointed at a banner hanging from the castle wall. A banner showing a winged orb above 3 triangles.

"Oh, you mean The Delta Rune?" Asriel offered.

"The Delta Rune!? No no no, that there is The Constellation of Prophesied Reunion. I should know, mom made me pour over the tomes for hours..."

"It's been the symbol of our people for as long as I've been alive at least"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Hmm, perhaps it does" Asriel mused. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs.

"You see, the triangles represent us monsters, while the winged orb represents The Angel"

"What does that mean?" Parides asked.

"There's a prophecy behind it. It's said that The Angel that has seen the surface would return, and The Underground will go empty"

"Huh, that's pretty cool. So, Frisk, is she The Angel?"

"Some people think so. Others think it's me" Asriel shrugged.

"You?"

"Long story"

"Ah... well, in any case, I can see why you'd use the constellation for a prophecy like that. If I remember, it's said that monsters born under the Constellation of Prophesied Reunion are fated to be reunited with the soul of their soul-mate from a previous life and be all the stronger for it. Maybe, in this case, it prophesied the reunion between us monsters and the surface? "

"Maybe. In any case, it sounds like a pretty nice constellation to be born under"

"I suppose it is"

"Alright, my turn then" Asriel affirmed.

"Fire away"

Asriel's dilemma was the same as before; there were a ton of things he wanted to know about, but, he had to focus on the problem at hand; Parides, and how they might get rid of him.

Perhaps he could be a bit more direct?

"How did you... die?" Asriel asked.

Parides's face scrunched up and he shuffled uncomfortably in his seat "Getting a little bit personal, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry, it just sounds like something you'd want to get off your chest"

"I'm not so sure..." Parides muttered and glanced away. For a few moments Asriel was sure he wouldn't get an answer and was about to pose a different question, but then Parides took a big swig of his goblet filled with snail brandy and said "Well... long story short; I was beheaded by a guard serving the father of the princess I was to marry" His face dipped and a shadow fell across his eyes "On our very wedding day, no less..."

For the first time in the two days he had known him, Asriel felt something else than scorn towards Parides. His own wedding had been one of the happiest days of his life, as it should be for everyone.

"Wow... I'm sorry to hear that" Asriel said.

"Worst day of my, heh, first life" Parides muttered darkly and took another big swig.

"How did it come to that?"

"Not so fast. You asked your question and got an answer. My turn" Parides said with a slight tremble in his voice, yet, whether it was from anger or sadness Asriel couldn't tell"

Almost without pause, Parides opened up "Aside from the two of us and your mother, are we the only boss monsters left?"

Pretty much, yeah. I heard there used to be more, but-"

"There was"

"Huh?"

"There used to be a lot more of our kind. Boss monsters. Though, I don't know whether to laugh or cry knowing there's only us left"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, without patting myself too much on the shoulder, you might have noticed that monsters with a boss monster soul grow up to be... extraordinary individuals. Back in my day boss monsters were renowned scientists, great leaders, superb warriors, the strongest, best and brightest of our kind. A kind of noble class, I guess you could say"

"But a boss monster soul is not something you earn, it's something you're born with"

"Yup, though, a lot took it for granted. Used to be we had petty nobles squabbling and pestering my parents with 'I have a Rash-Roach infestation in my manor, you must send the entire Royal Guard!' 'A temmie barbarian stole my hat, the entire kingdom must be scoured!' or 'Attend my daughters 4-months birthday or I'll halt the import of quality snails!' constant bickering and moaning... it's a lot easier now that we're so few... but..."

"It still means we boss monsters are a rare breed"

"It would seem like it. Sometimes a boss monster is born to regular monsters, but it's rare. So, for the sake of diversity don't pull a stunt like me and get yourself killed, alright?"

"I'll... do my best"

Asriel reflected for a moment over this information. There had actually been one other boss monster beside himself and his parents; the former leader of Royal Guard, Caderas. His madness, however, had seen him killed at the end of his dad's trident a year ago...

… If only something could have been done.

"My turn" Asriel said. So far, he had learned quite a bit about Parides, but nothing he could use directly. Not yet anyway. Perhaps it was time to change direction.

"You said, back when we first met, that you had a plan to save us all, and that you needed the six human souls you sto- got"

Parides deflated in his seat with a deep sigh. Apparently, it was a question he had hoped wouldn't be asked.

"What exactly does that plan involve?" Asriel finished.

"I can't tell you" Parides flatly stated.

"What!? Why not!?"

"Because it... might jeopardize everything"

"But maybe I can help? If it can save us all I'd be more than happy-"

"No, Asriel, just... no" Parides sighed "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but... listen, I don't want to lie to you so I'll just tell you what you need"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if he was quickly trying to pin down just how much he could tell "I think I got a decent impression of what kind of monster you are, Asriel. If I were to tell my plan to you I'm all but certain you would argue against it..."

He opened his eyes and Asriel was chilled at the sincerity and seriousness in them.

"And it is vitally important that you **DO NOT** argue with me. All our lives depend on it. I have to remain completely convinced that it will work"

Asriel looked like one big question mark, and his thoughts were filled with the same. Whatever Parides had in store sounded dire... and what was that about 'having to remain convinced'?.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not much of an answer but it's what you're gonna get" Parides finished and sat back straight. "You can, uh, have another turn, if you want"

It was like a slap to the face for Asriel. Sure, he might not be king anymore but he was still royalty, the protection of all monsters was still his responsibility and now he was kept from it. Even worse, Parides's aristocratic tone of voice made it sound like he was talking down to him.

He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms "Well, whatever this 'grand, mysterious plan' of yours entails it sure doesn't seem like you're in a hurry"

"Huh?" Parides turned to look at him.

"Unless, of course, you demolishing parks and converting the castle into your own personal pleasure palace is somehow a big part of it?" Asriel asked with a disappointed scowl.

"Ebott isn't in any immediate danger. No need to rush" Parides answered somewhat sheepishly.

"Sure, we might be safe for the moment, but every moment we waste humans are killed and having their souls drained!"

"That's not my fault"

"It is if you can do something about and don't!"

"It doesn't matter how fast or slow I do this. Nothing can change the fate of humanity"

A cold dread came over Asriel at the sudden implication "You can't seriously mean..."

"I've already said too much... think it's best we drop this game while the going is good" Parides said and rose from his seat. He walked a few steps towards the door before suddenly stopping. His head dipped, sighed, and then chuckled weakly.

"Well damn, here I come to reconcile with a small game and I just end up making it worse" He turned to face Asriel, still on the bench. His usual self-assured and coy grin was back.

"Say, how about I invite you and Frisk for dinner to make up for it? My treat, I've had the Royal Gourmet whip up some boiled snails with sauteed froggit legs"

Asriel felt his stomach lurch.

"I'm afraid we'll have to take a rain check on that. We were actually invited to Undyne's place. I'm supposed to meet them in a few"

"Ah, too bad, but I will have dinner with you two at some point. We're family, after all, and dust has to stick together"

His stomach still lurched.

"Anyway, see ya later then. Give my regards to Frisk and your mom, ok?"

"Sure..."

With a final chuckle, Parides finally left, leaving Asriel alone in the garden once more. He became aware that he was almost drenched in cold sweat. There hadn't been a single word of anger or violence, at least, not from "King" Parides, yet he had felt constantly tense and on edge, ready to lash out or defend himself...

… Yet Parides had remained almost static throughout most of their little game. The same confident, easy, self-assured-to-the-point-of-arrogance grin on his muzzle.

He was dangerous, no doubt about it.

He had learned much about his resurrected ancestor, yet three questions still burned in his mind;

What had Parides done to earn so much LOVE he had ended up in The Void?

How did he plan to save the world?

And what did his incomplete soul mean?

The last question, at least, might be answered soon, Asriel reminded himself as he made to leave as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a house not far away, another game was taking place.

A game of magnificent adventures, diabolic beasts, epic loot and handsome heroines.

"Lizard Wizard! Your end draws near!"

"Bah! Frisk the Fierce? More like Frisk the Fool! I will ki- uh, smash- ehh, de-defeat you!"

"Oh, I dunno Alphys. Frisk's stats are pretty friggin' kickass!"

"U-Undyne, please! I'm the Evil Master Lizard Wizard!"

"Right, my bad, nerd"

"A-anyway! You stand no chance, Frisk! How do you hope to overcome my evil might?"

"With this!" Frisk declared and smashed a card down on the table, showing an axe with the blade in the shape of a half, red heart.

"The Axe of Merciful Pacification!... how predictable..." Alphys muttered darkly.

"Wh-what!?"

"Hah! The Evil Master Wizard Lizard knew you would go for that, so I pumped my 'Rambunctious' stat to the max! Which means that in order to pacify The Lizard Wizard non-lethally...

"You'll have to roll two dice with the same number! Fuhuhu, this is getting epic!" Undyne declared.

Frisk looked over the boardgame. The figure representing her had made it far and now stood over the tormentor of Heroica, The Evil Master Wizard Lizard. Only one dice roll stood between her and eternal peace reigning over the lands.

"I accept your challenge!" Frisk boasted and picked the cup with dice up.

"The fates will decide your fate, Frisk the Fool, but in my infinite power I foresee nothing but death and defeat for you!" Alphys the Lizard Wizard threatened.

"I fear neither death nor dishonor! I only fear not saving everyone I can and that includes you! Now, let's end it once and for all!"

With a heroic throw of the dice, Frisk sent them tumbling over the boardgame. They rolled all over, tumbling into small miniature houses, dungeons and creature lairs before finally coming to rest in front of Alphys, The Master Wizard Lizard.

For a moment complete shock and silence filled the room.

"No... friggin'... way" Undyne finally broke the silence.

"Snake Eyes!" Frisk declared, throwing her arms in the air and planting a foot in the table.

Alphys could only stare in dumbfounded disbelief at the dice in front of her, each showing a single dot... each showing a one.

"How... how could this happen? How could the dark powers dessert me like this?... It can't be... no... no, no... NOOOOO!"

An explosion suddenly sprang into life in front of Alphys, sending her flying backward, toppling her chair over. She rolled on the floor before finally stopping in front of her desk and computer.

"I am... I am... defeated..." "The Evil Master Lizard Wizard wheezed.

"HELL YEAH! YOU DID IT, FRISKY!" Undyne shouted and high-fived the young human with both hands.

"Justice is always victorious in the end!" Frisk said, returning the high-five before trotting over to the smoldering form of Alphys.

"And such fine booty is ample reward for my quest, wouldn't you say, Undyne?"

"Damn straight" Undyne agreed and gave Alphys a hungry look. "Thought, I might call Master Looter on this one"

"Eh, ehe, yeah, g-good job, Frisk" Alphys said with an embarrassed blush as she stood up. "Incredibly lucky roll with the dice, b-but not bad"

"It's all in the wrists" Frisk said and turned her hand in front of her.

The computer behind Alphys suddenly flared up, beeping and whirring whilst the screen displayed "Search Complete"

"Whazzat?" Frisk asked.

"Oh, eh, remember wh-when you asked me to look into our n-new king's, uhh, condition?"

Frisk's cheeky smile fell a bit "Oh, right, his strange incomplete soul"

"Yup, I set my computer to search through the Undernet for anything that might cause something like that, aaaaaaand..." Alphys drew out as she clicked a few buttons on the computer.

"And what? Frisk asked.

"Aaaaaaaand... nothing"

"What? What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"I-I mean there's n-nothing that could c-cause something like that! We got zero results on the search!"

"That can't be right, we all saw it!"

"Sure did" Undyne agreed "And never seen anything like it either"

Alphys drew her hand over her face "But it doesn't make any sense for Parides's soul to be like that. Monster souls are very weak, taking even a small piece of it away would cause death in a matter of minutes. Taking a whole third away, even if it is a boss monster soul... well, he shouldn't be alive! It's a scientific impossibility!" Alphys surmised as she pulled on the small spikes on her head in frustration.

"What about those human souls he's got? Maybe they're keeping the bastard alive?" Undyne guessed.

"No, even a regular human soul has too much Determination to act as a monster's true soul. They're just power sources for his magic"

Frisk sat down on a chair and scratched at her cheek while looking over a bookshelf filled with old tomes and books.

"But that doesn't change the fact that his soul IS missing a third of it... I wonder if it was like that also when he was alive the first time around"

Alphys shrugged "Maybe, all I know is that no monster soul can survive getting such a big piece torn away"

"Must've stung like a bastard when it happened" Undyne mused.

"No doubt, damage caused to the soul is-" Alphys stopped and her eyes wide went with an inner light in them, as if someone had opened a door to a well-lit room inside her head.

"Wait, what did you just say?" She asked with bated breath.

"Huh? I just wondered when-"

"'WHEN!' Of course, why didn't I think of that?! God, I' so stupid!" Alphys almost shouted as she raced over to the bookshelf and retrieved a large, ancient tome.

Frisk barely got a glimpse at the title on the old cover "Sicknesses of the Soul: Symptoms and Curatives"

Alphys slammed the tome down on the table with the boardgame, scattering the pieces over the floor.

"Ach, to think Heroica would be crushed under the weight of knowledge, of all things" Frisk said with the back of her hand on her forehead.

Alphys ignored her lamentations, feverishly going through the pages of the book.

"There!" She shouted and pointed a claw.

Frisk inched closer to look her over the shoulder.

There was a picture on the page. A picture of a monster soul, but missing roughly a third of it.

"That's it!" Frisk and Undyne agreed at the same time.

"Parted-soul syndrome" Alphys read the title.

"Parted soul? Sounds dangerous" Frisk said.

Alphys nodded "You're more right than you know, Frisk. This explains how Parides can live with such a strange soul" She turned to look at Frisk and with a deeply serious voice said

"It's because he was born with it"

"What does that mean?"

Alphys quickly read the describing page, shivering as she finished.

"Nothing good... you know how a monster soul is made up of kindness, compassion and hope?"

"Of course, everybody does"

"Yeah, but not everybody knows that those three aspects each make up a big part of the soul... each makes up roughly a third, in fact"

Frisk felt a shiver herself at the implication "So, if Parides was born missing a third of his soul does that mean...?"

"Yes" Alphys concluded "It means that Parides, our New King of Monsters...

"...Lacks, and has never felt, either hope, kindness or compassion..."

* * *

 **The mystery deepens! Wooooh!**

 **I know there wasn't a lot of action in this one but don't worry, the next chapter should... turn up the heat** juuuust **a smidgen.**


	7. Past and present times

**I guess I kinda did promise some action in this chapter and, well... there's some but not as much as I had hoped.**

 **Anyway, don't worry! We're just about done with the opening chapters of the arc.**

* * *

"So, what do you think, Frisk?"  
"I won't object to it"  
"You like it then? Hah, I knew you would!"  
"... Why do you want my approval for this? You're the king, after all"  
"Well, I... just wanted to show that I don't want us to be enemies, so-"  
"So you thought slapping my name on a humanitarian aid font for the refugees would win me over, is that it?"  
"Uhh"  
"You don't actually care about the human refugees, do you? The only reason you're doing this is because you thought I'd like it"  
"Please, Frisk, I never meant to insult you. And I was going to help the refugees like this anyway, honest!"  
"Ah, so actually it was just a convenient excuse for you to try and make me forget all you've done... I've heard enough"  
"No, Frisk, wait!"

But his only answer was the sound of the door shutting in his face, and the echo resounding through the Throne Room.

Parides sighed and massaged his temples. He had invited his 2 descendants, Frisk and Asriel, over for another attempt at bonding with them. He knew they both hated him for stealing the throne from them, even if it was a necessity. With Frisk being the helpful soul she was, he had hoped putting her in charge of caretaking for the human refugees would have mended the bad dust between them. No such luck, though. He would have to think of something else for her.

"You underestimate her"  
"Huh?" Parides looked to his side. The armored figure of Undyne stood, helmet and all. The blue flame from the visor the only indicator that there was someone in here.  
"I said you underestimate her. Frisk might be soft-hearted but she's not soft-headed" she clarified.  
"You're the captain of my Royal Guard, not an advisor" Parides grunted.  
"Just my 2 cents... sir"

The hostility of everyone in Ebott was starting to get to him. The insolence! In his time behavior like that would have seen the perpetrator soundly flogged by magic!

He would show them, though. Once he had saved monsterkind they would have to change their tune. Then he would set things right, back to what it once was, when people knew their place!

If it could be done without violence, so much the better, and he was not entirely out of ways to mend the discord between him and his 2 descendants amicably.

"Has Asriel arrived yet?" he asked out loud.  
"He came together with Frisk. Been here as long as she has" Undyne replied.  
"Good. Send him up to The Overview... and have the chefs send us up some more of those froggit legs"  
"I thought I was your captain, not your butler"  
"Are you refusing your king?" Parides asked with a slow, low growl that belied the warning within.  
Undyne didn't flinch but did turn to leave after defiantly meeting his gaze for a few moments.

Unacceptable. When did the Dreemurr name lose the respect it once had? Since when did servants question their liege to brashly?  
The leader of The Royal Guard was an important link in the social chain of command, but that was just it; they were a link, and a link below the ruling family at that.

He shook his head clear of the thoughts. Yes, it was a sorry state of affairs when royalty was forced to intermingle with those below them, but that was a problem for when the current crisis had been resolved.

For now, it was time for another talk with his descendant.

* * *

Ebott had changed.

The invasion by the spirits of the void had already done much to dampen the vibrancy of the monsters, but ever since Parides came into power things had been much quieter. The New King had made it crystal clear that he hearkened from an older time, a time when the lines between the nobles and the common folk were never to be crossed, where society was divided into those who ruled and those who served.

It was a notion that scared people and recently, monsters had taken to trying to avoiding the castle in which Parides resided as if it was an unlocked cage with a deadly Final Froggit, ready to pounce on anyone that got too close.

It was a worrying prospect for Asriel. Despite the revulsion it caused him even he had to admit that Parides was a Dreemurr, he was family... and he was quickly tearing down the trust monsterkind had in the Royal Family.

Of more immediate worry was that the castle itself had changed seemingly overnight, with 2 semi-circles emerging from sides, as if a big circular chamber had been built in the middle.

Both he and Frisk had been invited over for a separate talk. Frisk had already had hers, explaining that it had been a crude attempt to smooth things over by putting her in charge of helping the human refugees. Asriel expected his ancestor might have something similar in store for him.

The entrance hall of the castle had also changed with the new construction, with 2 curving stairways in either side of the room that seemed to end in the same place, and as he followed one of them he soon found out where; a spacious balcony overlooking what could only be described as a gladiatorial arena.

Parides was there as well, once again flanked on either side by a pair of scantily clad female monsters, one holding a tray with a jug of Snail Brandy, the other waving a large, feathery fan at him. They moved away, into the sides as they noticed his entry.

"Ah, Howdy, Asriel, good of you to join me. Come, the show's about to start!" Parides gleefully ordered without looking at who had entered.  
"What is this? What have you done to the castle?" Asriel asked and cautiously made his way up to the side of the Throne Parides was spectating the empty arena from.  
"Hah, well, let me answer that question with another question. Do you like brawling, descendant?"  
"Brawling?"  
"Yes, not mere, random violence. I'm talking about organized fighting. 2 fighters going at it in a duel of skill, perseverance and strength, all for glory, money... or my amusement" Parides subtly added.  
"Not exactly" Asriel answered coldly and crossed his arms.  
"I knew it! I knew you wou- wait, what!? Really!?" Parides spluttered.  
"No, really, what gave the idea I did?"

"What gave me the idea!? Well, how about the fact you spend several hours a week training with The Captain!?"  
"I don't do that by choice... even if I do enjoy time spent with Und- The Captain""  
"Th-then how about you placing 3rd in the Mixed Martial Arts discipline during the last Summer Solstice Games!?"  
"Again, I didn't do that by choice"  
"Bu-but the stories about Valantis, Caderas, even that underground slave ring! How you beat them all! You must have some kind of talent at least!"  
"I... guess?"

Parides finally seemed to calm down from his surprise-induced rant, slumping back into his throne and taking a big sip from a goblet.  
"Well, that blows. I made all of this for you, because I thought we were of one mind on this. I've always enjoyed spectating a good fight myself. There was this human empire during my first life, a powerful one, had a thing for gladiatorial bouts, gave me the idea for this" He explained and reached an arm out to gesture to the arena.

Asriel sighed and reached up to pinch the space between his eyes.  
"So let me get this straight... you converted a large part of the castle into a fighting arena, because you like watching people beat themselves near to death, all for your amusement?"  
"I thought you did as well"  
 **"I don't!"**  
"You sure you're not just saying that to spite me? There's evidence to the contrary" Parides replied back with a sudden coldness.  
"I'm pretty sure, yeah!"  
"Why don't we find out..."

Parides clapped his paws twice, the sound echoing through the circular room. In either side of the room a portcullis started to screech open, and from each, a monster emerged; an ursine-like monster carrying a wooden club from one side and a lion-looking one wielding a crude spear from the other. Both wore a set of thin, white robes... and had a look of absolute fear on their faces.

"What are you doing?" Asriel asked with trepidation in his voice, looking down at the scene.  
"Using my arena, see if a little brawl can't get the gander up"  
"What, no! You can't just do that! These are people's lives you're playing with!"  
"Last I checked **I** was the king of this place, which means I can do whatever the hell I want... something the Dreemurrs of today seems to have forgotten" Parides growled.  
"Now sit down, shut up and watch" he finished with finality and pointed at a gilded chair beside his own. Asriel felt his claws unsheath in hot frustration but nevertheless made to sit down.

"Good. Now, let's get this show on the road!" Parides boasted. He stood up and clapped his paws again "You may begin!" He shouted over the arena.

The first few moments reminded Asriel of how he had been himself when Undyne had begun training him for his Crownquest. Like him, the monsters in the arena trembled at their opponent, only reluctantly closing in on each other. Even from above, he could see the cold sweat on their brows.

Suddenly, with a roar of fear, the bear monster lurched forward and swung its club in a life-ending swipe. It was clumsy and sloppy, to the point that it missed the lion completely. Nevertheless, the lion monster jumped backward hurriedly, tripping over his own feet and landing on his rump. Seeing the opportunity, the bear jumped into the air, club raised over its head to crack the skull of his opponent. With a shriek of fear, the lion raised a paw against it, attempting to cast a fireball but in its panic, all it managed was a burst of hot air that nevertheless managed to knock the bear-monster out of the sky and unto his back.

With an animalistic roar born of the instinct to survive, the lion pounced on the vulnerable bear in such a panicked rush that it completely forgot and discarded its spear. It locked its paws around the bear's throat, intending to strangle the life out of it and up from the balcony Asriel could smell the scent of dust as the Lion's claws tore into the bear's skin.

The bear thrashed, trying to dislodge it's opponent to no avail. It smashed the club into the lion's back but from its position, it couldn't get good leverage and power behind its blows and the lion, mad with adrenaline and the need to survive, ignored the attacks.

With the other paw, the bear tore dusty gouges into the lion, yet still, it remained. Then, in one sudden move that surprised even the bear, it accidentally smacked the pommel of its club straight into the Lion's left elbow, shattering it with a loud "CRACK!" that resounded throughout the arena. With a pained gasp, the lion slid off, landing on its side. The bear wasted no time, getting up on a knee and smacking its club into the ribs of its prone opponent, resulting in yet more terrible sounds of bones breaking.  
Again and again, the club fell, the bear completely lost in adrenaline-fueled madness.

"ST-STOP THIS! HE'S DONE! HE'S KILLING HIM!" Asriel shouted as he rose from the chair. Beside him, Parides sighed dejectedly, but likewise also rose from his chair and with a cruel calmness clapped his paws again.

As if a sudden clarity spell had been cast on him, the bear stopped and looked up at the balcony, tears born of fear and horror in its eyes. Beneath him, the shape of the lion rose and fell slowly, as it barely breathed trough shattered lungs and broken ribs, only alive by the slimmest of threads.

From atop the balcony, Parides reached a closed paw out and extended his thumb so it pointed sideways. In a strange motion and with a playful smile on his face, he tilted his paw upwards and downwards. In one horrific moment of realization, Asriel knew what he was doing.

He was deciding whether the defeated lion-monster should live or die.

"Parides..." Asriel growled a warning, slightly bending his knees, ready to pounce if Parides would do the unthinkable.

Up, down, up, down, up, down. It was like a pendulum, counting down to the moment that would decide whether Parides truly was lost beyond all hope, that he was twisted enough to believe he could play with people's lives like this.

Up, down, up, down, up...

And up it stayed.

Parides waved a dismissed hand at the monsters in the arena and grunted. "Take the loser back to his cell. The victor is free to go" from out of the portcullises, a pair of Royal Guards emerged, applying a quick solution of healing magic to the lion before dragging him away, while the bear simply left in a dazed state of disbelief.

Asriel himself felt an immense sense of relief, only now realizing how much his heart was racing.  
"Hmpf, not really the same vigor and fierceness as the fighters back in my day, but I must confess, watching commoners fight with nothing but their sheer will to live... it's exhilarating, isn't it? Hehe-" **POW!**

Without thinking Asriel had sucker-punched Parides straight in the cheek, causing him to stumble over his throne, nearly tripping over his own robes.  
"Wha-what gives!? I figured seeing people fight might get your juices flowing but I didn't want you to fight me!" Parides protested and moved a paw to nurse his bruised cheek.  
" **How can you be so cruel...?** " Asriel hissed " **To just throw 2 random innocents in to beat themselves to death for your amusement? And then laugh at it!?** "  
"Hardly innocents" Parides scoffed as he stood up and dusted off his robes. "The feline was a shoplifter and the ursine had spoken out against my rule. Criminals, Asriel, not innocents. I don't make a habit of throwing worthwhile citizens into the arena"  
"Worthwhile citizens? Crimes so minor and you would have them killed!?"  
"I am their king and they are my servants. They live only to serve my will and if that is that they fight and die for me, so be it"  
"You're despicable..." Asriel spat and turned to leave with a grunt of disgust.

"... You perplex me, descendant" Parides muttered just before he reached the door. Asriel would have ignored it, but the genuine curiosity in his voice made him stop and turn to face him.  
"You ignore power freely given to you due your birthright. You mingle with commoners yet still took the throne to lord over them when your father died... and perhaps worst of all you deny what is your right as a Dreemurr due to some, what, more modern sense of ethics? And yet you dare think you hold the moral high ground, or that you're better than me?" Parides said, more with interest than actual anger.  
"Back in my time, things we'r-"

" **But this isn't 'your time'!** " Asriel interrupted and stomped down to get his point across.  
"Times have changed, Parides! Yes, we Dreemurrs still rule, but monsters as a whole have evolved. They know how to live their own lives, they know how to make their own decisions! All they need is for someone to make sure nothing interferes with that! Not a tyrant that thinks he knows best, or that he can play god in his own little sandbox!"  
"I'm not playing god. I'm merely availing myself of what belongs to me. I realize things might have changed, but that doesn't mean times are better... or that they can't change back... and contrary to what you might think, I don't wish for every monster to fall over and die for me. As my dad used to say 'Our citizens are the tools with which a great society is built'"

Asriel stomped over to a window overlooking Ebott City and gestured at it. "So every monster down there, they're just 'tools' to you!?"  
"'Valuable Tools'" Parides corrected. "But tools nonetheless. A good craftsman takes care of his tools, but the opinions and feelings of a tool are inconsequential, and he doesn't think of himself as one"  
"You really think you better than everyone else down there, don't you?"  
"And why don't you?"  
"Because if have no reason or right to believe I am!"

Parides's eyes flashed over with sudden shock, then disappointment... and then anger. "No... right...?" He hissed. For a few moments, all he did was stare at his descendant. Then, suddenly, he stormed forward, walking briskly. Asriel took a step backward in surprise "What are you- AHH!"  
Parides grabbed Asriel's wrist and with a quick flick of his claws cut a rift in it. Not deep enough to be dangerous but still deep enough that it bleed dust on the floor.

Asriel's wrenched his arm free and stepped back, the question clear in his surprised eyes.  
"That!" Parides barked, pointing at the dust on the floor "That is our right! Our Birthright as Dreemurrs! That is the reason why we are strong, why we rule while everyone else out there serves! The noble dust that flows in our veins, Asriel! How could you turn your back on that!?" Parides barred his teeth, for the first time since Asriel had met him really angry.

But Asriel didn't flinch, he merely shook his head "You got it wrong. I haven't turned my back on anything, least of all my family"  
"What!?"  
"I just don't think my dust, something I haven't earned, makes me better than anyone else. I know I'm privileged to be born a Dreemurr, but that privilege also carries the obligation to use it for the betterment of all monsters, not just myself, my friends or my family"  
"Our dust is might, it is strength, descendant. There's no shame in embracing it"  
"But there is shame in using it almost solely for our own benefit"  
"And what makes you say that?"  
"Because times change" Asriel repeated "Our family name is respected by most monsters, Parides. We don't need to rule through fear anymore"

Parides raised a questioning eyebrow "Respect? Is that what you think?" He mused.  
"It's better to be loved than to be feared" Asriel answered.  
"And you truly think the commoners respect our family name? How can they do that when you barely do so yourself?"  
"What do you mean?"

Parides turned on his heel, went over to his throne and deftly retrieved what looked like a magazine. He turned the article towards him and in an instant Asriel felt the fight drain out of him, replaced by embarrassment.

"Oh no..."

It was an issue of a monster-oriented ladies magazine from a few days before his fights in the summer solstice games, featuring a half-naked version of himself on the front, wearing only a pair of shorts, one paw on his hip while the other hung at his side, all the while sporting a challenging look. The subtext read "Prince Charming: As-real as it gets? See page 5 for more!"  
"I... I thought those were out of print..." Asriel muttered weakly.

Parides chuckled in response and flicked through a few pages "You talk of respect and yet you deign to pose yourself for such commoner gossip"  
"Well, they... kept asking..." Asriel well remembered how often he had received letters from magazines and the like to come in for a photo-shoot and an interview, his popularity following his Crownquest and the events last year taken into consideration. Then, during his period of training leading up to the games, Undyne had subtly hinted that he had nothing to be ashamed off posing for a few photos.

Seemed like empty words when those photos were in Parides's grubby paws.

"Uh huh... well, I can understand why the female youth might, heh, 'respect' you. Might be those big biceps, toned legs and well-defined abs of yours!" He taunted with glee.  
"Parides..."  
"I mean, golly! It looks like you could shred cheese on those!"  
" **Parides, enough!** " Asriel stomped down, finally fighting through the embarrassment.

But Parides's reaction was just as severe. Immediately, the grin fell from his face, he slammed the magazine down to the floor and pointed an accusing claw at Asriel.  
"See!? That's exactly what I'm talking about! You say you respect our family name and yet you sully it by doing things like this!? Look at you! Even you feel shame at it!"  
"It... it's nothing. It's just a few photos..."  
"Photos, pfft. Our royal figures are only worthy of the finest paints and artists. Asriel, as royalty, the people will always judge us by what we do"  
"But-but what's so bad about this?"

Parides sighed and rolled his eyes.  
"I suppose I can't blame you. It's clear to me that people in this time have no idea about what proper respect and honour entails. But don't worry, once the current crisis is resolved, I'll take care of that as well, you'll see"  
"Parides..."  
"We're done here" He breathed out and waving a dismissing paw "I've tried to bond with you through knowledge and I've tried to bond with you through more base pleasure. I'll give it one last attempt tomorrow. For now, you may leave"

Asriel took a moment to ponder the veiled threat 'One last attempt' but nevertheless made to leave, glad to be away from the place but worried more than ever what Parides planed for monsterkind.

* * *

Usually, most of the Dreemurr family had lived in the castle, the interiors and layout being much the same as their Home Underground. The doors had always been open to all monsters at all times if they needed help, advice or counseling, and any who visited were often surprised to find that while the exteriors could appear daunting and intimidating, the interior was the exact opposite. Nothing extravagant here, only furniture and household items one would find in any cozy home, and it all spoke of the humility of those who lived there.

That had changed with the arrival of it's newest inhabitants. In a few short days, the castle had grown vastly, bloated with rooms and halls dedicated to simple and personal pleasures. The once family-sized dining room had become a banquet hall, the living room was now larger than most properties owned by regular monsters and the once humble but well-kept castle grounds was now part luxurious swimming pool, part racing track, part auxiliary pleasure dens, for the sole use of the 'Noble Dreemurrs', as Parides had decreed.

Both Frisk and Asriel were of one mind that this change would no doubt have disgusted Asgore, as it did with them, and they had decided to move out to live with Toriel, despite Parides's insistence that they could stay and that 'Dust must stick together'.

Toriel herself lived in a modest two-story house in a nearby suburb. She hadn't been queen for a long time now, but many monsters still held her in high regard, not just due to exemplary work running Ebott's only school, but also because her door, and a warm slice of pie, was always open to any and all. Perhaps not a queen, but she was still an important pillar of the community.

Alas, this also had changed in recent times. Since Asgore's death, Toriel had retreated more and more inwards and hadn't shown up for work for several days. The staff understood, and hadn't made a fuss, but were still worried.

As were her children.

"This is a big mess" Frisk stated the obvious, sitting across Asriel in the dining room with an MTT-brand mug of hot chocolate in her hands.  
"Uh huh... you know, I think he actually believes he can make us like him with all these offers and tricks he keeps pulling" Asriel replied, having just returned from Parides's arena showcase.  
"If that's what he thinks he got another thing coming! I don't do tyrants" Frisk declared.  
"Well, that's... one reason, I suppose" Asriel said and glanced down at the ring on his finger.  
"So, arena matches you say? Sounds like it's compassion his soul is missing then, if he can be that callous with others" Frisk wagered.  
"Perhaps" Asriel breathed, remembering what Alphys had found out about Parides's strange, 2/3 soul. That he couldn't feel either hope, compassion or kindness "But... he choose to let the defeated monster live. He didn't have to do that"  
"There is that" Frisk conceited.  
"How about you and that aid he promised to the humans?"  
"Well, he said he was going to do it anyway, with or without me"  
"So it might not be kindness either he's lacking? Hope?"  
"I'm not so sure. All he's been doing, all these attempts at reconciliation with us... sounds like something you'd need hope for... which means we're basically back to square one" Frisk sighed and took a sip of her mug.

"Yeah... but we might still be on the right track" Asriel said with trepidation.  
"What do you mean?" Frisk asked, intrigued.  
"When I was... a flower, I couldn't feel those emotions either, hope, kindness or compassion, but that didn't mean I couldn't, well... 'act' like I did. I knew what they were, I knew how to physically express it, I just couldn't feel it myself"  
Frisk nodded slowly, thinking the words over "And you think Parides might be doing the same?"  
"It's possible... and if it is it means he's well aware of his own condition and tries to hide it"

"But what in the world are we going to do? People are... worse than dying out there and he's content living the high life all safe and snug inside his ivory tower" Frisk said with a hint of disgust.  
"Heh, you don't suppose we could stage a rebellion? Gather the masses and overthrow him?" Asriel said with a grin.  
"We would have the backing of the Guard. I'm sure Undyne would agree. Royal Guard or no, she dislikes Parides as much as we do"  
"Ah... eh, I was joking, Frisk"  
"Oh, right... of course" Frisk shrugged.

Asriel felt a tug in his chest. Things must have had a deeper impact on Frisk than he had realized if even she was contemplating turning to violence.

"It's a big mess, alright" Frisk repeated "So big I think I'm just going to sleep on it"  
"Sounds like a plan" Asriel agreed with a stretch and yawn. "You go get tucked in, I'll be with you shortly"  
She simply nodded, downed the last of mug before making for the stairs to their shared bedroom.

A big mess for sure, one that had affected the remaining Dreemurrs to their very core.

He had spied lights seeping out from underneath the door to the living room, and as he heard the door to his shared bedroom open and close he slowly made his way towards it.

Toriel was there, gently tipping back and forth in her chairiel in front of the lit fireplace. She held a picture frame in her paws. There was an air of melancholy in the room.  
"Mom?" Asriel ventured. The former queen craned her neck to look at him "Oh, hello my child, I didn't hear you enter"  
What are you doing?"  
She turned back to the picture and sighed "I'm... not really sure. Remembering, reflecting... regretting"

Asriel quietly made his way over, worried at the somber tone of his mother's voice. As he got close he finally got a good look at the picture; an old one, with Asgore and Toriel in fine liveries, paws in paws with his mom holding a bouquet of flower.  
"Seems like another lifetime ago your father and I took our vows. I can barely remember anything from it, other than how happy I was. How... complete I felt" Toriel said, almost a whisper.

Asriel wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently placed his muzzle in the crook of her neck.  
"I miss him too. Not a day goes by where I don't ask myself what dad would do if he was here" he said, to which Toriel slowly nodded.  
"In many ways, this crisis we're facing... it is not so dissimilar to one your father and I experienced long ago"  
She stifled a sob, and Asriel was well aware of what she was talking about.  
"Back then we were also faced with the possible end of life as we knew if and we... also suffered loss of our loved ones" a short pause, no doubt to recoup "It was horrible. The grief I felt was overwhelming. Every day I contemplated taking my own life... to end the pain and suffering. The guilt I felt tore me apart... so when your father made his declaration that every human that fell down had to be slain... I think some dark part of me leaped at the chance to throw all the blame and guilt at him. I never even considered he might be suffering as much as I did. I was just happy to leave the memories of my failure, doubts, and guilt behind"

Asriel gently rubbed his paws along her shoulders. He couldn't recall ever seeing his mom so vulnerable and so open.

"Even when we reached the surface, and you were returned to us I clung unto that illusion. I was bitter that I had lost you and Chara, yet jubilant that you were back. I could never really sort my emotions out. Every time I saw your father it was like I was back, I couldn't see the monster that had fought grief, fear and immense adversity for the sake of all monsters, I could only see the one I... I had to believe was solely responsible... I was so foolish and selfish...

But... I slowly began wondering if I could forgive him, and when he would ask for it. I think the shining light of you, Frisk, the progress we made on the surface had begun to shine through the illusion I imagined for myself..."

Her face dipped and a single, silent tear ran down her muzzle "And now, far, far too late, I realize with the cruel clarity of hindsight. I never wondered if I could forgive him...

I wondered if he could forgive me..."

She moved a paw to her mouth to stifle her sobs, and her shoulder shook quietly with grief. Asriel wasn't surprised to find his own eyes watering as well.  
"The... last day I talked to dad, after his speech, he mentioned something" Asriel began, voice trembling. "He said that... he was planning to invite you over to dinner, to talk... and maybe more. I think he... he was willing to give it another chance"  
Toriel turned her head to look at him, a slight hint of newborn hope in her wet eyes  
"If that doesn't sound like he was willing to forgive and forget, I don't know what is" Asriel finished.

Toriel moved a paw up to grasp his around her shoulder, squeezing it tightly.  
"Asriel, my love... whatever happens promise me you will never repeat the mistake I did. Promise me that you will never let anything tear our family apart, that you will never let grief or guilt rule you"  
Asriel's answer was a tightening of his hug as he moved to place his forehead on his mother's. The moment heartfelt enough it was like the flames in the fireplace burned more intensely.

Parides could say what he wanted about family and dust. It was more than mere lineage and birth. **This**. This was family, the bond between parents, children, and siblings that would only grow stronger through adversity.

Come what may, not even a Dreemurr would tear the Dreemurrs apart ever again.

* * *

 **Next time will finally see the gang move outside Ebott...**

 **... And the return of a certain place and a certain character from Crownquest...**


	8. Old and New Kings

**Things are coming to a head within the Royal family and abroad an old enemy has returned... but who could it be?**

 **Read on to find out.**

* * *

Being an incorporeal spirit had it's ups and downs. Sure, not having a body meant you couldn't feel anything physical, like warmth or even the simple pleasure of rest.

On the other hand, it provided ample opportunity to scare the living daylights out of people.

"BOOH!"  
"NOOOOO!"  
Chara cackled loudly at the sight of the human huddled in a corner, shivering in pure fear. They weren't going to kill him, they hadn't killed anybody thus far, but he didn't need to know that.

"WAAH!" Chara teased.  
"AIIII!"  
"Hah! Gotcha' again!" they boasted and leaned their head down closer to the shivering man "Now, unless you want me to spook you even more, tell me where Ebott is!"  
"Ple- please, don't steal my soul!"  
"I'll spook it right outta your butt if you don't spill the beans!"  
"No! Please!"  
"Here it comes!" Chara declared and drew a loud, deep breath. Charging up a mighty 'booh'.  
"No! Stop! I'll tell you!" The man shouted and pointed a shaking hand at the road outside.  
"Ju-just follow the road to the next intersection, an-a-and then take a right! You can't miss it, I promise!"

Chara nodded in an agreeing manner. It was just about the same their previous spook victims had told them, sounds like they were still on the right track.  
"Very well, mortal, you may go" Chara declared in their most exaggerated cartoon-villain voice.  
"Re-really!?"  
"Yes! Now go, or my 'boooohs will haunt you forever! WAHAHA!" Chara jumped and raised their arms in a menacing manner.  
"NOO!" The man shrieked, finally mustering enough courage to get up and bolt out a nearby door, running full tilt down the street.

Chara couldn't help chuckling at the sight. They hadn't had this much fun since they had been alive in The Underground. The man had been a lucky find, no doubt a scavenger looking for supplies in the abandoned town. A welcome diversity and a useful source of information.

But, as the moment faded, the reality of the place began settling on the ghostly child.

All around them was evidence of a once vibrant and colorful village. Pictures of a smiling family, toys strewn about the floor, drawings hanging on the fridge.

But all that had changed once the veil to The Void had been torn.

Here and there Chara would find the remains of the previous inhabitants. Desiccated corpses with fear-struck faces, the unlucky one who had been unable to escape the spirits of the void and had had their souls consumed as a result, doomed to a fate worse than death.

It filled Chara with a strange feeling, one they hadn't felt in a long time. That so many spirits from The Void would follow them into the world of the living was unexpected, and Chara couldn't give 2 figs about a few humans dying...

… But death on this scale? They had wanted humans to die, sure... but to suffer?

Perhaps it was all a bit too much...

They shook their head. None of it mattered, all that did was getting to their brother and that minx, Frisk. Then...

Then they could start over...

Sure of their purpose and filled with Determination Chara followed the frightened man out the same door. Continuing their long journey towards Ebott.

* * *

In what seemed like a rarity, the morning sky over Ebot was, for once, neither clouded nor gray. Instead, the warm sun greeted the small city, the grassy meadows a bright green and birdsong on the air.

Undyne wasn't usually a fan of warmth or sunlight, but this was an exception. The morning clock screeched a 7:30 AM. A quick morning jog in the warm summer morning would only make the following shower that much the better.

Undyne and Alphys lived in a 3 story house in the same suburb as Toriel. The layout was mostly the same, with the addition of a large lab in the basement and a gym with sparring arena in the garden.

There wasn't much to be happy over in recent times, but waking up to such warm circumstances, and with her best scale-mate lying beside her all smol, it was still hard not to.

Careful not to wake the little lizard, Undyne stretched, enjoying the sensation and sound of her joints popping out of their morning stiffness and snuck over to the wardrobe to fetch a jersey and jogging pants. Alphys would usually have some sort of "breakfast" readied when she came back... if she didn't sleep in, that is...

All dressed, Undyne tip-toed towards the door, content that Alphys was still lightly snoring, sound asleep. She reached for the doorknob, and-  
" **HUUUUUUUUUAAARRRRGHH!** " A loud, angry voice suddenly bellowed, making even Undyne jump and then groan as she realized it was her cellphone getting a text with her ringtone of an anime protagonist charging up his super move.

Though, from the sound of an anime opening theme playing in the room, Alphys had also gotten one. The sound of battle and music almost made Undyne giggle with glee.  
"Huh, wha- no" Alphys slurred sleepily and reached for her cell.  
"What kind of git sends texts this early..." Undyne muttered and picked her's up. The sender read "DominantDreemurr000"  
Of course, if anyone was going to ruin her morning it had to be Parides. She casually tossed her phone on her bed and went for the door.

"You're not going to read it?" Alphys asked behind her.  
"Eh, I'm sure it can wait till after breakfast" she reached for the doorknob... and stopped. The air suddenly felt laden and Alphys was strangely silent behind her, she couldn't even hear her breathe.

"Uhhm, Dyne?" Alphys spoke up "You... might want to see this.  
Sufficiently motivated now, Undyne cautiously picked her cellphone back up, as if it was a bomb waiting to go off

 _"_ From: _DominantDreemurr000_  
 _To: My Loyal Captain of the Guard_

 _Loyal subject! The time has come to set the plan that will save all of_ monsterkind _into motion!_

 _You are hereby ordered to commandeer The Airship, along with The Royal Scientist and any other_ personnel _you see fit and set course for our old, glorious palace located on the island of Los Suenos. Your mission will be to protect The Royal Scientist, as they retrieve an artifact of great importance._

 _Success is paramount to_ monsterkinds _survival._

 _DO NOT under any circumstances inform Asriel or Frisk of your mission!_

 _Your King and Lord:_

 _Parides Dreemurr"_

"Huh, guy sure likes to talk like an ass" Undyne scoffed "Not even a 'please'"  
"So, we're not going to do it?"  
"Of course we are. As much as it irks me he IS the king"  
"True enough" Alphys sighed "He sent a picture along with his text to me. It's what he wants us to find" Alphys turned her cell's display to Undyne. A somewhat crude drawing of what looked like a bundle of golden rods tied together by string was on it, alongside a map showing a hidden room in the palace archive. Didn't look like anything special.

"Whelp, looks like we got a date" Undyne smirked.  
"Yeah... I'll go pack and make breakfast if you want your morning run. I can- urgh!" The lizard monster choked as Undyne suddenly pushed her back down on the bed.  
"Un-Undyne?" she said, wide-eyed.  
"No time for a morning jog, but I can think of something else that's faster and... more fun" Undyne said with an almost predatory smirk as she lowered herself down on the scientist.  
"Now, we got a long day ahead of us, so why don't we get warmed up?" she finished as she threw the covers over them both.

* * *

"I'm so happy you decided to accept my invitation" Parides happily exclaimed from the end of the banquet table in the new, huge banquet hall "Despite past mistakes, I want to reassure you, I want nothing more than there to be peace between us" he said, looking back and forth at Frisk, seated to his right and Asriel, seated to his left.

The banquet hall was large enough that his voice echoed and along the walls stood rows of servants and waiters, hands and paws holding trays and dishes laden with food. Even with the Dreemurr's legendary appetite, there was more than enough food here to feed half the kingdom.

The dinner invitation had arrived quite suddenly to Toriel's house by way of a tuckered-out and winded Royal Guard. Asriel had been highly reluctant to go, but insistence from both Frisk and his mom that they needed to keep an eye on and learn more about their ancestor had convinced him, if grudgingly.

And if what Parides had said the day before, when he had unveiled the new Royal Arena, this would be his last attempt at reconciliation.

"You've... certainly put on quite the show" Frisk said with a too-obvious fake smile, looking over the already cluttered dining table. Cue the royal dinner invitation it was, Frisk wore a simple but elegant purple dress, her hair was tied in a bun and wore fine bowtie on the side.

"Yeah, I can't imagine any of this would have been cheap" Asriel added in. He wore his normal ceremonial robes used for important events but had taken and added the shoulder cape from his training robes. The cape allowed easy access to his inventory and his weapon of choice, a magically enchanted quarterstaff... just in case.

"Nonsense! There's nothing that's too good or too expensive for a Dreemurr, much less 3! But, fine food and drink is a given when monsters and humans of our status convene. Of more importance, however, is that we put an end to the animosity between us" Parides took on a more serious tone and leaned back on his throne. He looked every bit the opulent lord he thought himself to be, wearing a long, purple robes with lines of glittering gold sewn in. There was a ring on almost each of his fingers, the crown on his head shone with such vigor it had to be magically enchanted, and his large rack of horns seemed to have had carved faintly blue-glowing runes into them. Despite his best attempts to ignore it, the size of his horns invoked some kind of racial, deeply hidden envy within Asriel.

"I know I've said it before, but I do apologize for my sudden takeover of the crown. It was a brute but necessary act on my part to seize that power if we want to save monsterkind"

"We all want to save monsterkind" Frisk chimed in "It's just... as far as we can tell, you haven't done much more than grow the castle and enjoy yourself"  
"Heh, well..." Parides began with a nervous blush "Perhaps I was a bit more lax than what was called for... but I'm also happy to reveal that I have taken the first steps towards saving us"  
"Oh? And what would that be?" Asriel asked suspiciously.  
"All in good time. For now, let's just enjoy some good food and good company!" Parides declared. He launched an arm out, pulling close a tray of chopped Vegetoid slices dipped in a brown sauce.

Frisk availed herself to a greasy steak, while Asriel fell upon a plate of cinnamon-coated snails. The food was indeed very good, the company though...

Asriel knew his fair share of jerks, fiends and maniacs yet most of them tended to be humans and rarely posed a threat to Ebott, yet here was he was, sitting across from one who was family, no less. Parides was vain, arrogant, greedy and prideful... yet, in truth, there was another, far deeper reasons for why he abhorred him so much.

Parides had returned from the dead from an apparently tragic death, regained his form with the help of 6 human souls and now sought to turn back the clock to what he deemed a better time once he had saved monsterkind from its current crisis.

Exactly what he had tried. Powers and ambitions like that corrupts.

Just like it had with him, all those years back in The Underground Asriel reminisced. He wondered for a moment if Frisk had been unable to stop him, would he have turned out just like his ancestor?

The thought made him shudder and turned the delicious snails in his mouth dry and tasteless.

"Color me curious" Frisk suddenly began, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief "But, you said you're planning to return our way of life back to how it was in your time. What does that entail?"  
Parides quickly swallowed down a mouthful of the Vegetoid slices.  
"Only good things, I assure you"  
"How so?"  
"I want order, plain and simple. I want an Ebott where monsters worthy of respect get their due and where everyone knows their place and do not question it"  
"And who would be 'worthy of respect' according to you?" Asriel asked.  
"As I told you yesterday, descendant, us Dreemurrs first and foremost. You may not realize but you are but the youngest and newest branch on the oldest family tree of all monsterkind"  
"And on that alone, we should be held above others?" Frisk questioned.  
"It is only natural, my dear. Our legacy and lineage makes us strong, and if they do not respect that they must be forced to"  
"And is it 'natural' for someone to come back from the dead and take the throne?" Asriel challenged.  
" **You would know, wouldn't you?** " Parides spat, and from the look of instant regret on his face, dearly wished he could take back.

Almost no one knew of Asriel's past as Flowey and of his death, only his parents and closest friends did, of which Parides was neither.

"How... did you know that?" Asriel said with a low growl.  
Parides gulped and looked over to Frisk for support but found only the same question on her face.  
"Pl-please, it was just a, uh, slip of the tongue!" Parides tried.  
"Don't give me that crap, we both heard you!" Asriel hissed.  
"We trust our friends enough to know they would never tell you such a secret. How did you know?" Frisk questioned in a measured voice.  
"Please, all I want is for there to be peace between us"  
"Then tell us!"  
"But if I do, there will never be peace" Parides said almost threateningly.

Asriel felt a shiver run down his back "What do you mean?" He asked.  
Parides sighed, placed his elbows up on the table and folded his paws together. "It's... true, I do know that you, like me, has tasted death before... but the answer to how I know that is one you really wouldn't like"  
"Try us" Frisk said.

Parides sighed again, closed his eyes end rested his head against his paws, no doubt regretting how a simple bad retort had brought him to this. For almost a full 15 seconds he sat still, before drawing breath.

"When the veil between The Void and this world was torn, I at first, thought it was simply my mind playing tricks on me. I had been stuck there for thousands and years and thought I had finally snapped. So while everyone was busy leaving The Void I stayed, thinking nothing of it... but as I did, we suddenly got a 'new arrival', a soul with a scent I recognized. The scent of a Dreemurr"

A pit of horror opened in Asriel's gut. A Dreemurr arriving in the void just as the veil was torn? Only 1 Dreemurr had died since then... but that He would go to The Void...?  
'No, please be wrong' Asriel wished.

"I went to it" Parides continued "And offered what comfort I could to my kin. A foolish notion, I know, there's almost no comfort to be found within The Void, only a blasted coldness that seeps down to your very soul... the new arrival, he was... scared, of course, anyone would be finding themselves in a place like that, but I eventually got him to talk. I presented myself, as did he..."

He looked up at Frisk, then at Asriel, the implication of what he was relaying all but unsaid "The new arrival... his name was Asgore, your father" Parides finished.

A fork Asriel had held in his paw screeched lightly as it bent from his grip, so tense up was he.  
How could his dad be in The Void? Only souls with a high amount of LV went there. His dad had killed those human children long ago, true, but never out of spite and he had worked the rest of his life to make up for it.

Now it appeared he wasn't even getting his well-deserved rest.  
"But... how?" Said a shocked looking Frisk, asking the question on his mind.  
"How your dad ended up in the void?" Parides surmised and sighed again "From my talk with him, he appeared like a good and honorable monster, not fit for The Void. He told me all about you, your life Underground, how Frisk came and saved you, how proud he was of both of you... the way he died, though..."  
"One of... of the spirits got hold of him" Asriel said, to which Parides nodded.  
"That's what he told me as well... you see, these spirits of The Void are filled with hate and resentment of their fate, to such an extent it becomes practically infectious to a living soul... when the spirits got hold of Asgore's soul, it was exposed to all those negative emotions and was filled up, even as it was drained of life... it's what happens to everybody the spirits manage to get to, no matter how good and just you were while alive, you will suffer an eternity of horrible afterlife"

The revelation almost made Asriel more angry than sad. Hadn't his dad suffered enough without this torment!?  
"Waitwaitwait!" Frisk suddenly burst, a glint of, to Asriel's surprise, hope in her eyes "If the veil to The Void is torn and my dad is there, doesn't that mean he could return as well?"  
Asriel felt the anger in his chest turn into a blooming flower of careful hope, and he looked to Parides, deeply hoping for the right answer.  
"...Eventually, yes" Parides said, but in a tone that turned their newfound joy cold.  
"What do you mean 'eventually'" Asriel demanded.

Parides shuffled uncomfortably in his throne "You see... it's like this; Yes, the veil is torn, but it still requires a lot of strength for a soul to leave The Void, strength a newly-arrived soul wouldn't have anywhere near enough of"  
"How long will it take, then?" Frisk asked.  
"The stronger a soul was in life, the longer it will take to regain that strength, and your father was nothing if not a powerful monster..."  
The bloom in Asriel's chest withered into despair.  
"I'd wager it would take many years for your dad to be able to return..."  
A dejected sigh escaped from Frisk and she buried her face in her hands. Asriel felt equally sullen... but he realized Parides hadn't told the full story yet.

"What did you do to him?" Asriel asked.  
"Hmm?"  
"After my dad told you about us, you evidently left The Void... what did you do to him?"  
Parides gulped and looked aside in apparent shame "This is why I didn't want to talk about it..." he whispered, almost unheard.  
"Did you leave him behind? All alone?" Asriel growled.  
"I... had to. The Void was unleashed and someone had to save monsterkind. I could -"

Before he could finish, something suddenly smashed into Parides, knocking him and his throne over and sending him sprawling unto the floor, with whatever had smashed into him still on top of him.  
"Wha-" he tried, but a flaming fist smashed into his chin from above.  
" **YOU BASTARD!** " Asriel roared and punched again, a wet 'smack' followed by a clinging sound, one of Parides's fangs knocked loose and rolling on the marble floor.  
" **You talk so much of family, and yet you leave a Dreemurr, MY DAD, behind to suffer!?** "  
"I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!" Parides half-whimpered, half-screamed as he waved his arms to ward off Asriel's punches.  
" **Yes,** **you did! You could have stayed with him! Instead, you choose to steal 6 humans souls and ruin what my dad had spent his life trying to build!** " Another punch struck home. Cracks were beginning to form in the floor underneath Parides's head.  
"I had to leave him! I couldn't save monsterkind while stuck in The Void!"  
" **YOU CAN'T SAVE ANYONE!** " Asriel roared " **All you've done so far is leave people behind to suffer and turned monsters into your personal playthings!** "

"GET OFF!" Parides screamed and with a strength that surprised even himself threw Asriel off with such a force that he flew to the side of the room and into the marble wall hard enough that pieces fell off and crumbled. The nearby servants and waiters managed to clear out, wanting to help the fallen prince up but fearing that doing so might incur their master's wrath.  
"ASRIEL!" Frisk shouted and ran to his side, uncaring of the danger, and tried to help her wheezing and coughing brother up.

Parides also got to his feet unsteadily and looked at his paws in mild surprise "Right, the power of human souls..." he muttered. The runes on his horns flared a sudden, confident blue and he turned to regard his fallen descendant.

"You will pay for this..." Frisk hissed at the king. She barely managed to help Asriel to his feet and even then he needed to lean on her.  
"I did what I had to do. Your dad was a good monster and if there was anything I could do to get him out right away I would... but there isn't" Parides said and moved a paw up to his mouth. Probing with his fingers to feel the teeth he had lost in the scuffle. He found a loose one and with a quick tug and pained grunt pulled it out.

"So... I guess this means we can't let bygones be bygones? I don't want us to enemies. Dust shouldn't fight dust" he said somewhat slurred.  
"Oh, you better believe it" Asriel said in between strained breaths "You're leading monsterkind down a dark path, and using everyone around you for your own benefit"  
"I do what I must"  
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, but from where I'm standing, this was the last drop"

Parides narrowed his eyes at them, the implication not lost on him "So, war is it? You'll fight me?" He challenged.  
"To our dying breaths" Frisk answered for the both of them.  
Parides's face fell, covered by shadow. His paws curled into fists tightly enough that they shook and for a moment they feared he might kill them there and then.  
"So be it" he said and relaxed his posture "Begone from my castle. My patience with you is at an end. I will allow you to leave but if I see you again... it will be as enemies" he finished and turned on his heel, marching for the door to his upper chambers.

"You know, Parides, you may have escaped The Void" Asriel suddenly called after him, making him stop in his tracks "But I can't help but wonder if you left a piece of your own soul behind as well..."

* * *

Los Suenos, a new name for an old place, though no one, not even the oldest monsters, could remember what the island kingdom was called before the humans had taken it over and renamed it. Here and there one could still find ancient ruins and signs of the grand monster kingdom that once laid here, but now, most of it was subsumed by the buildings of the recent inhabitants, humans, the descendants of the army that had conquered the kingdom and driven monsterkind into exile.

But now, even they were gone, driven away by a new invading army. The lost souls of The Void.

Lost Suenos was, in effect, a ghost island.

A highly populated one, if Alphys's spook-o-tron was to be trusted.  
She stood out on the overlook balcony of The Airship, getting the lay of the land. A tropical storm had settled over the island, heavy winds and fierce rains buffeted her, but it wasn't cold. And yet she shivered, out of fear at the task ahead of her and Undyne.

The Airship hovered over the ruins of the old Royal Monster Palace, where the secret archive with the relic they were looking for should be.  
"So, what's yer gameboy telling ya?" Undyne asked as she suddenly marched up beside, clad in her full armor save for the helmet.  
"Uhm, uh, it looks like there's... a lot of paranormal activity down there"  
"Ah, cool"  
"Huh?"  
"Well, it would've been a shame if we came all this way with no action to show for it, right?"  
"Bu-but Undyne, these things are dangerous! They'll steal our souls if they get half a chance!"  
"Like hell they will. I got my 2 best guards backing us up"  
"Wha-" Alphys stammered and looked around confused "But, it's just us. We didn't bring anyone else, no extra guards"  
"Sure we did, they're right here" Undyne said as she raised her hands and cracked her knuckles in anticipation of what was to come.

"Oh... right, of course" Alphys deadpanned.  
"Whelp, ready to go, my little love-lizard?" Undyne asked and rolled her shoulders.  
"Yeah, all set. I'll go get us a shuttle down, then we-"  
"Nah, too slow, we go now"  
"Wha-" Before Alphys could even mouth her confusion, Undyne suddenly wrapped a strong arm around her, held her tight, place an armored foot on the railing...

And jumped off.

Even if she could have mustered enough faculties to scream, the wind would probably have drowned her out. As it was, the only thing Alphys could hear, as they plummeted to the ground was Undyne's joyful laughter. As they neared the ground, Alphys was certain she could see her death racing to meet her. Instead, Undyne threw a spear at the ground that exploded on impact, buffeting them with such force that is slowed their fall and they landed with such ease the jump for The Airship to the ground might as well have been from a chair.

"Fufufufu, I've always wanted to that! Awesome!" Undyne declared and casually let go of the lizard in her arm, who collapsed to the ground, kissing and hugging it.  
"Oh my god, I am SO GLAD to be back on the ground!" She wheezed, answered by a chuckle from The Captain  
"Hey now, you're getting mighty close to said ground, should I be jealous?" She asked with a coy grin.  
"Undyne, wha- what the heck were you thinking jumping off like that!? You almost made me shed!"  
"What, did a little bit of wind scare you?"  
"We could have died!"  
"No, I had it under control, and besides, haven't you ever heard of flying fish before?"  
"Wha-"  
"Enough yappin', let's get what we came for and get outta here"  
Fighting to calm her still racing heartbeat, Alphys managed to get to her feet and made to follow, stopping up at what used to be the front gates of the Royal Palace.

Undyne was giving it an appraising look. Time had taken its tool and the doors themselves were gone, but the remaining pillars were still rich with engravings, still faintly glowing with residual magic. They showed monsters of all shapes beside small buildings that grew in size the further one read them until eventually, they stopped at an event that seemed to show 2 prominent monsters and their child. The last major occurrence in their history before they were forced Underground.

"Shame we never really got the give the place a closer look last time we were here" Undyne muttered. Alphys could only nod, she had been there herself, about 4 years ago when Valantis, the old, self-proclaimed 'King of Humans' had kidnapped them all. The king had kept himself alive through the stolen boss monster soul of Asgore's father. Only with the help of sans and Monster Kid had Asriel been able to defeat him and complete his Crownquest by removing the soul. Without it, Valantis's human age had rapidly caught up to him and he had crumbled to dust.

It had been a terrifying experience, most of which she and Undyne had spent in a cage inside the throne room. A room which they had to go through to find the archive.

* * *

The interior of the palace was dark and gloomy. In many places, the roof was gone, but the tall walls cast long shadows. This was where the last battle of monsterkind's presence on the surface had been fought and lost, and many monsters had died here.

Which would explain why so many souls from The Void would return here... and yet they hadn't found any.

Undyne and Alphys entered the dilapidated house where the Dreemurrs had lived before the war. It was almost an exact copy of Home and Undyne imagined for a moment a young Asgore running around the place...

Such a shame...

The corridors to the left and right had collapsed, blocking off the living room and the bedroom, but the stairs down to the throne room were still accessible.

A mechanical whirring sound suddenly echoed from Alphys. Her spook-o-tron was going off.  
"Oh no..." she whispered.  
"What?"  
"It, uh, looks like the throne room... there's a lot of Void spirits in there"  
Undyne glanced away. A few spirits wouldn't be a problem for her... but it was all a question of numbers.  
"Well, let's see what we're dealing with then" she said as they finally reached the doors to the Throne Room. Carefully, she opened them with as little noise as possible and almost immediately felt her heart sink.

The place was packed with lost souls, but... something was off. It was all human soldiers in ancient attires, strange, considering no human had been killed in the war. They all stood in orderly formation, a few of them shaking and spasming in soul-borne torment, but in line nonetheless.

As she got a better look she noticed they were all facing another, brightly glowing soul at the end of the room, who surveyed the assembled ghostly soldiers with disdain from atop a raised stone dais where the old thrones of the monster kings and queens still stood.  
"Pathetic... simply unacceptable," it said in a haunting voice.

A voice, Undyne realized with horror, she recognized.

"You, my most loyal followers, all swore a blood pact to serve me even in death, and now that our time is finally upon us I learn that most of you have had the gall to lose your minds!... Pathetic!"  
"Bu-but, my lord! Most of us have spent centuries in The Void! It was a torture so horrible, we-" One of the ghostly soldiers spoke up before he was silenced by a brutal backhand.  
"Quell your fool tongue! If we are to march on the wretched home of monsterkind I will need stout, strong soldiers. Not weak-minded cowards who lose their nerve over a little time in The Void!"

Back at the door, Undyne and Alphys stood and witnessed the gathering in stunned silence.  
"No... effing... way" Alphys muttered.  
"Valantis..." Undyne confirmed "But... how?"  
"Because he died. Only souls with high LV goes to The Void and Valantis was nothing if not a cold-hearted murderer. Now that they're free..." Alphys explained. The tyrant in question looked much like he had in life, wearing a large set of ornamented armor, one shoulder plate showing a screaming monster face and the other a triumphant human one. His chestplate was engraved with violent scenes of battle and war. He was a tall individual, imposing, but his own time in the afterlife seemed to have taken its tool, his hair was matted and unkempt and there was a wild, almost feral flailing to his movements.

"And he's planning to attack Ebott..."  
"W-we have to go back and assembled The Guard, Undyne, there's too many"  
"... But we only need to defeat one"  
"What!? Undyne, you can't seriously be planning to take him on single-handedly!?"

The Captain turned to look at The Royal Scientist while pointing an armored finger at the assembled army.  
"That rotten bastard in there is solely responsible for all that time we spent trapped in The Underground, wallowing in nothing but fear and despair. I can't pass up a chance to get some payback, Alphys, I just can't"  
"But-"  
"And besides, if he's planning to attack Ebott then, as a Royal Guard, it's kinda my duty to stop him. Sometimes you have to be a bit proactive"

Alphys looked fearfully back and forth between Undyne and the assembled ghost soldiers. Her lover was a badass, she knew, one of, if not THE strongest monster alive... but the old human king had been no pushover when he was alive and even just as a soul, he would no doubt still be a powerful opponent.  
"Do you... you really think you can take that many on?" Alphys asked with hopeful eyes.  
"I only need to beat Valantis... and look at his soldiers, they're so broken they won't put up much of a fight"  
"If you're sure..."  
"I am... Alphys, I need to do this. Only we can stop him in time"  
"Alright, just... just don't die, ok? You mean too much to me"  
"Pfft, I should be offended you even consider that a possibility"  
"Heh, right..."  
"I'll be fine, my little love lizard... when, uh, I move in it should distract them enough for you to get to the archive"  
"I don't know. I got a bad feeling about this, Undyne"  
"Well, that's why I'm the captain and you're not" Undyne said. She kneeled down to plant a quick kiss in the lizard's forehead.

"I'll be counting on you" She said.  
"A-and I you!" Alphys replied.  
"Then let's not disappoint each other" Undyne declared and stood back up, taking a deep breath.

"Here we go"

* * *

Valantis was in a foul mood. For the longest time, he had feared he might never get vengeance on the monster prince and all his ilk. When he finally broke free from The Void, along with all the other souls he thought he might finally get the chance. Finding that most of his soldiers had been driven mad by their time in The Void, however, had come close to dashing that hope.

"I am your lord! I own you, body and soul!" He shouted at a cowering soldier "There is no creature more accursed than a faithless servant! If you allowed your mind to be broken it only confirms your devotion to the cause was lacking!"  
"M-my lord! Please!" Whimpered the ghost. Valantis was about to retort when a flash of light and gust of wind came from behind. He turned, finding another of his soldiers, having escaped from their prison and drawn to him by the blood pact he had sworn in life. Another sorry specimen, his eyes were wild and bore every sign of the same madness that had affected most of his men.

Still, he just needed time. His armies had been legion and with enough crazed souls, he could drown Ebott in numbers.  
"Kneel!" He demanded the newly-arrived soul. It looked at him in confusion and made to answer, yet, instead of words, a glowing blue spear emerged from its mouth, having impaled it from behind.

"Wha- what is the meaning of this!?" Valantis shouted and took a step back. The impalled soul feel to it's knees and dissipated. Impossible! Only magic could hurt a soul and only a monster...

"Hey, asshole!" a voice challenged him. A tall, armored monster with blue scaled skin, an eyepatch, and a flowing red ponytail, having somehow made it to the center of the room without anyone noticing.  
The closest of his ghostly followers scampered away, awed and intimidated by the warrior presence amongst them. Valantis didn't flinch, however. He lowered his head and glowered at the intruder from the raised dais with the thrones.  
"You... I remember you. The hot-blooded captain of the Royal Guard"  
"And the one who's gonna kick yer can all the way back to the afterlife"  
"Bah, you're brave, I'll give you that, but even your prince couldn't stand up to me on his own. What chance do you think you have?"  
"Who do think trained the little punk?"  
"You were a fool to come here alone. I and my soldiers will tear you apart!"  
"You're gonna need the help. Still, it won't be enough"

Undyne reached behind her and retrieved her helmet from her inventory. She calmly put it on and as it locked to her gorget with a metallic 'click' a single blue flame exploded into life in yhe visor, just as another spear appeared in her hands.

"Now, I think it's time to send you back to the hell you crawled out off...

… and I'll make damn sure that's where you stay!"

* * *

 **Bet most of you didn't see that one coming (Only if you've read 'Crownquest' though).**

 **I figured it's been a while since we've had some real action in the story, so let's turn it up a notch!**


	9. Fight & Flight

**With Undyne facing down the Former King of Humans Alphys has gone on alone to find the artifact Parides sent them to find...**

 **But the Archives has a** hidtem **horror no one could have foreseen...**

* * *

For all her boasts and bravado, even Undyne had the clarity to realize she hadn't fought that many true battles. There were a few human children from when they had been trapped in The Underground, but those had all either fled, such as Frisk, or put up poor resistance. Things had been a little more hectic since reaching the surface and Undyne had at times been forced to disperse rowdy crowds, sometimes with force. All she had was years, decades even, of hard training with some of the most proficient fighters in the world.

Undyne had never really had a true fight life-or-death fight against one that might prove more than her equal... until now.

It didn't scare her, of course. In fact, she felt more pumped and excited than she could ever remember being in a long time.

"Are you sure you thought this through, captain?" King Valantis asked as he walked down from the raised stone dais with the thrones, wearing a coy, arrogant smirk. "You come in here, alone, to face me and all my men?"  
"What, you're not getting scared, are you?" Undyne shot back, unimpressed.  
"Insufferable wretch! I have trained in the arts of combat for longer than you have been alive!"  
"Trained on defenseless monsters you mean. Oh, you're soooo brave and tough!"

"Child..." Valantis hissed under his breath. He drew his sword from the scabbard hanging at his side, a ghostly blade that nonetheless still glowed with faint residual magic from when he had been alive. It was almost as long as he was tall. Three gems were inserted on either side of the guard, which, according to the myths, were made from condensed monster dust which gave the sword its magical properties.

He waved the weapon at his troops on either side of Undyne "Stand back for now, the honor of drawing first dust is mine"  
Undyne, in turn, prepared herself, bracing her spear in her hands and spacing her feet, ready to either meet a charge or jump into action.  
"Your soul... I can sense great Bravery and Courage from it" Valantis mused and hefted his sword.  
"I shall enjoy sipping from it like wine from a goblet until it is nothing but an empty husk!"  
"Sounds like you're not afraid of new tastes, at least" Undyne answered. "Not so keen on giving you my soul but I got a can of whoop-ass you're more than welcome to"  
"Arrogant brat! DIE!"

As if the floor was nothing but ice, Valantis suddenly slid forward swiftly, sword held out to skewer Undyne. The Captain blinked in mild surprise but managed to deftly step aside. She swiped her spear upwards in an attempt to cut Valantis open, but the king shot out his free hand to grab it shut. Almost before he did, as if she had been expecting it, Undyne let go of her spear with one hand to land a swift punch aimed at his head. The King ducked low in a surprised rush, straight into Undyne's raised knee, resulting in an ethereal 'Thwack' and a hiss of pain as the King stumbled back, nursing his bruised chin.

Undyne jumped forward, spear poised to run the staggering king trough, but he spun at the last moment, reaching his free hand up to grab Undyne out of the air by her throat. The move caught her by such surprise she almost lost hold of her spear. Valantis chokeslamed her down to the floor hard enough to kick a cloud of dust up. Undyne gritted her teeth against the pain and her swimming vision. She focused solely on the sensation of the spear in her hand and threw it against the pressure on top of her but again the movement was arrested as Valantis grabbed her by the wrist.

She looked up, finding his victorious, loathsome grin to meet her. A cold fear, panic, and shame filled her. No! She couldn't lose to him! Not like this! Not so quickly!

He lowered his sword to her face. She struggled, but even as a ghost, his human soul meant he had a strong physical firmness and she could not get free. With a swift flick, Valantis cut a deep gash across her cheek, spilling motes of her dust out on the floor.

"There we go, first dust" He grinned and looked up at something behind her.  
"Now, that went a little too quickly, so why not a little intermission, huh? My men want in on the action as well it would seem"  
His grip on her throat tightened and he moved his arm back to throw her towards his waiting men like a bone to a pack of dogs.

To Undyne, it was a breath of relief she sorely needed and just before she was thrown she focused what magic she could into the floor beneath her. With a grunt of effort, Valantis slid her across the floor, too assured of his own victory to notice the growing blue spot beneath where Undyne had been. The Captain almost wished she could have seen it, being too busy to fend off ravenous, maddened souls of long-deceased human soldiers. At least, she was privy to the sound of the glowing spot erupting into a blue spear that surged out of the ground to impale Valantis trough the shoulder, and his roar of pain and surprise as it did.

* * *

Not far away, Alphys was descending down a poorly-lit set of marble stairs leading to the hidden archives. She heard the eruption of battle behind her, the clash of magical spear on ghostly blade and quietly prayed for Undyne's survival. Something within her screamed at her to turn around and help , but what could she do other than get in the way? Her magical abilities were tuned towards science, not combat and the most dangerous tool Alphys had ever wielded was a scalpel.

'No' she thought to herself, letting a deep breath calm her down. Better that she find the artifact so the trip here wouldn't be completely in vain.

She arrived at the bottom. It was cold, no doubt an old frost spell to preserve the books that still held. The flashlight in her claws, even with an infusion of magic for extra power and light, couldn't see the other end of the room, only dusty floors, and rows upon rows of bookshelves with ancient texts and tomes. From what she could discern the archives were huge and as she spotted a map on the wall to her side on the wall she realized just how huge... this room stretched on for kilometers in either direction! There could easily be millions of works from the old world and all its corners down here!

She felt almost giddy. Had they been here under better circumstances she imagined she could easily have spent weeks down here, with nothing but the books, her ramen noodles and her favorite playlist playing in the background.

She brought up her cellphone. Along with the message Parides had also sent a map, thankfully, showing where to look. Not far off.

She set off into the darkness. Usually, it would have frightened her but her fear of the dark paled in comparison to her fear of Undyne's safety. Still, the place was dark, cold and-

She spun to her side, having caught a title in the corner of her eye on the shelf holding works starting with "A"  
And saw "Anthology of Ancient Anime"

Without a word Alphys slipped the volume into her inventory. They might be on an important mission but this was highly critical and crucial information that otherwise could be lost forever!

Yes, no doubt about it.

Further down the line of shelves another title caught her eye in the "D" section, one that might just help them tip Parides off the throne if it came to that: "Dreemurr Dynasty: A genealogy of The Royal House Dreemurr"

Alphys reverently lifted it down. It was a tough, hardbound tome and seemed to easily have several hundred pages. She flicked it open to the latest page, stifling a sigh as she saw a name she recognized.  
"Asgore Dreemurr – Male - Firstborn – Heir Apparent – Constellation of the Tormented Smile."  
She carefully put the tome into her inventory. With luck, they might find something on Parides but it would have to wait till they got back.

Alphys reached the end of the shelf line, finding a brick wall with the bricks set in an oddly circular manner, just as her instructions said. She read the text again, memorized it as best as she could and went to work.

The bricks were highly malleable and each having 1 of 2 slightly different hues, a dark red and a bit brighter red. As the puzzle neared completion, Alphys began to realize what it would form; a large, bright "D".  
With the last stone set in place, the wall slid aside with a loud rumble, revealing a small alcove.

And a satchel, holding what looked like 12 or so golden rods. Exactly what they had been looking for.  
Alphys tenderly inched closer. She couldn't sense any magic coming from them and as she ran a hand over them she could only feel an... emptiness inside them, waiting to be filled... but with what? She frowned, what in the world would Parides want these for? They looked more like a set of pipes a plumber would carry around, but if it's what he wants...

She slid the satchel into her inventory and spun on her heel to leave. Now, to get back to Undyne and see if she could help. Maybe she could-

"teM wiLL LURk, tEm wilL Sneak, **Tem sensez soul, so tem takez Peek!** "

Alphys froze. A well of horror from the memories of her earliest childhood opened up. The rhyme, the way the voice changed from tem-ish to demonic... no way...

"A pAW in eVRy purse, a paW iN evrY pocket, **tem will even steel ur eye, and put paw in da socket!** "

Alphys crouched low, a primal instinct to flee and hide taking over. She remembered the stories, a frightful temmie that haunted children that misbehaved. Her parents always told it whenever she had scored less than top marks at school but as she had gotten older she had brushed it off as just that, a children's tale. That Caderas was said to have once caught and imprisoned a temmie that was both a serial killer and thief supposed to be possessed by a demon she had regarded as just a myth due to his reputation... but now...

She caught something out of the corner of her vision to her side... and felt her dust run cold. Half of a ghostly transparent temmie was peeking forth from between a bookshelf. It wore a ninja-like garb with dark cloth covering its mouth and hair leaving only blood-red eyes that leaked a black liquid. 2 small katanas were bound to the sides of it with what looked like tape and it had a white belt around its waist. Usually, Alphys might've found the sight funny, even cute, but knowing the stories of what "The Temmienator" had done in life...

"cH0p, stAb, sl1ice & dice, **tem will cut u once, twice and thrice!** " it said, changing from a sweet to a rumbling demonic voice with a wide grin that showed far too many needle-sharp fangs.

With a shriek of fear, Alphys dashed forward in between the row of shelves she had come from. She heard the pitter-patter of small feet behind her and took a turn down another alley of rows. She just needed to find someplace to hide! To break the ghastly temmie's sight of her!

* * *

Another ghostly soldier lunged at Undyne but found only her magic-enveloped fist in his face that dropped him to the ground like a sack of bones.

All around her were more ghosts with broken limbs... however that worked. Normally she could have held her ground like this all day, were it not for the fact that she needed to use magic in every attack. As spirits, her attacks would normally just pass cleanly through them, but magic hurt the soul and thus also the ghosts... but it took so much more extra energy. Already she could feel the spiritual drain slowing her down.

Another one charged her from side. She easily dodged it by taking a step forward, not even needing to look and she heard the impact as it smashed into another spirit who had tried to attack her from the back. They were disorganized, mad and raving.. but there were also many of them.

A shadow suddenly fell over her and her honed warrior instinct screamed at her to dodge. She rolled to her side, trough the legs of another ghost grasping at her and felt something big crash into the ground.

She got to her feet, finding Valantis, his sword stuck in the ground where she had been standing a second ago. One arm hung loosely at his side, courtesy of the gaping wound her spear-trap had left in his shoulder, but the furious scowl on his face told her it was an injury he was more than eager to repay.

He pulled the sword back out with an angry grunt and turned to face her. "Miserable wretch! How dare you assault my royal person!?" he spat.  
Undyne didn't answer, noticing how his soldiers around him responded to his presence. They were cowering. With their king holding her attention they would have much better luck getting their hands on her... but this was a king that inspired fear instead of respect in his men. They didn't follow him because they wanted to but because they were afraid not to.

"You and all your miserable kind will pay! Your agony will be legendary!" Valantis thundered and charged into a 1-handed side swing, cleaving a pair of his own ghostly soldiers in the process. Undyne deflected it away with the back-end of her spear and turned to skewer him. Valantis barely managed to reverse his grip and block her speartip with his sword's guard. He savagely pushed it forward as he did, smashing it into Undyne's chest hard enough to stagger her. He swung downwards, aiming to cut her in 2.

Undyne focused and followed the blade's trajectory and where it would hit her. There was a counter to this, risky... but it might be worth it. With a roar, Undyne stabbed her spear upwards to meet the downgoing blade, managing to catch the blade's edge expertly on her spear tip and stopping its motion.

Valantis blinked in surprise at what he was seeing, the extreme precision required to do something like that. It was all Undyne needed. With Valantis's sword stopped, she thrust the back-end of her spear into his stomach, eliciting a pained and surprised gasp. She followed through by using the spear end in an uppercut that landed hard enough to spin Valantis around, showing his back.  
She twirled the spear in her hands, getting it back into position and thrust it forward.

Valantis had no doubt realized she might try something like that and he jumped to the side... but a fraction of a second too late. Undyne's spear ran cleanly through the right side of his lower back in a cloud of ghostly vapor. The king didn't say a word, not even a gasp. He went completely rigid, only slowly craning his head down to see the spearhead jutting out his stomach.

Undyne took a moment to relish just how much she had hurt this murderer of monsters, this genocidal maniac. Just as she tried to pull her spear free, a ghostly soldier suddenly tackled her from the side and knocked her to the ground. She lost her grip on her weapon, leaving it stuck in Valantis.

Undyne quickly rolled on her back, barely managing to kick off a ghost that jumped at her. But then they were on her again, the small army of ghostly soldiers howling, baying and clawing for the courageous soul they could sense pulse within her.

* * *

"U tHInK u CaN hiDe? U ThiNK Ur sMart? **Tem has had more trouble holding in a bad fart!** "

Alphys had to forcibly keep her jaws shut to prevent her teeth from clattering in pure fear. She had managed to hide behind a trolley stacked with children's books aimed towards plant-like monsters with titles such as "Pepe the Podling" "Leafy's Little Life" and "Veggie Heroes". Cute as they might be, they did little to detract from the horror lurking about.

Alphys could just barely see the light from the stairs leading up and out of The Archives a few rows ahead. A short sprint but one that would undoubtedly get The Temminator's attention.

"BOOks r For mooKS, **when u got looks, no fem** tem **brooks!** "

Alphys whimpered. It sounded like the tem was-  
She froze... there was a pair of blood-red orbs pointed straight at her from between a pair of books. The Terrible Temmie suddenly exploded from them, knocking several invaluable tomes around and slicing paper to pieces with its dual katanas.  
Alphys darted towards the stairs with a shriek.

"HeARd SOunD frOm u, tHen Tem foUNd...ed u. Now tem must, turn u to dust!"

All Alphys could see was the light and silhouette of the stairs. Everything else was blurred, all she knew was terror, the tem behind her and her one chance of escape.  
Unfortunately, that also made her blind to the trap on the ground.

Her foot suddenly sunk into something soft and creamy and she slid and fell with a girlish shriek. For a terrible instant she feared it was her foot that had somehow turned to mush but some of it landed on her lip, having the taste of... lemon?

"NO! TEm's piE! **U cretin, u will die!** " The tem protested.

Alphys blinked a few times in confusion, according to the myths The Temminator did have a penchant for stealing pies as well as lives, but this was still... unexpected. The sound of rushing feet woke her. She grabbed the pie tin and threw what was left at the demon tem but it stretched its legs, making the missile sail straight between.

Alphys shuddered. The Temmienator was roughly 4 meters tall now. "Wha- what are you!?" She screamed and turned to run again.

"Dis liTTle teM WaS seAlEd AwaY, NEVer agaIN To sEE The lIghT OF dAy. **Too dumb to escape, tem passed away, unburdened now, forevah free to slay!** "

The tem was faster now with it's longer legs, but fear and adrenaline lent Alphys more speed and stamina than she knew she had. Her lungs and legs burned but it was an easily ignored pain compared to what would happen to her if The Temmienator got hold of her.

Finally, with a shout of triumph, she reached the first step of the stairs and rushed upwards. But then, the shadow of the tem fell over her and she felt a small, thin limb wrap around her leg to trip her up.

* * *

Undyne punched out with a magic-infused fist, sending another ghost flying, just in time to duck under the swipe of another one, grabbing the arm in the process and throwing the ghost into a group moving in, sending them all sprawling to the floor.

Undynes heart was racing. The horde seemed to finally ebb away but it had drained her. Her limbs felt heavy and her breath burned in her lungs... but not as fiercely as the fire of defiance inside her.

She eyed the surrounding ghostly soldiers, having formed a circle around her. They were wary, each waiting for someone else to take the first bold move. A few moments ago one of them had managed to sink it's ghostly hand into her, almost grasping her soul and yanking it out. It was only through sheer force of will that she had fought off the paralyzing coldness and pushed the offender away... but now they knew. They knew she was getting tired, that it was only a matter of time before they would rip her open and feast on her essence, then-

' **Shlack!** '

Undyne gasped. Something has rammed into her from behind. She looked down, blinking her eyes in confusion at the sight of the tip of her spear jutting out of her stomach  
Then came an overwhelming wave of pain and she fell to her knees, just barely managing to turn around and face where her spear had come from.

Valantis... having used the spear she had lodged in his back to repay the favor. The King was in a bad shape, his wounded arm nursing the wound in his abdomen and his breath as labored as hers, but he also sported a victorious grin.

"Got you" He wheezed.

Undyne barely heard him. The pain and the spear impaled in her was like a sponge draining all strength and vitality from her. Sensing her vulnerability, the ghostly soldiers closed in on her.

"Stay back, wretches!" Valantis barked "This monster dared harm my royal person. Her punishment is mine to render"  
Taking a few painful breaths, Valantis picked up his sword again, slowly but steadily walking towards the kneeling Undyne.

The monster in question gritted her teeth against the pain and limply pulled at the spear, hissing in pain at white-hot flare that filled her.  
"Goddamit, c'mon..." she said... or thought? Her mind was a blur. She had never known a pain like this... but defeat?

* * *

"Goddamit, c'mon!" The fish-monster hissed as she swung wildly at her target who, despite his size, easily dodged, parried or blocked her every attempt. His ease at doing so was bad enough, but the one thing that ticked her off the most was the amused smile on his face. Not condescending or snide in any way, just simple, pure amusement, as if this life-or-death fight was nothing more to him than a parent playing with a child.

"HIIYAAARGH!" she roared as she put the last of her strength into what she thought would be a sure hit, but the monster merely tilted his head at the last second, causing her to miss, stumble and fall. She landed heavily on the ground with a dull thud and weakly pushed herself to her knees and hands.  
"Golly, you sure are eager. What's your name, little one?" Asked the larger monster.  
"'huff' What's it 'huff' matter to you?"  
"Well, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I would like to know the name of such a brave individual such as yourself"  
"... Undyne, and you don't have to rub it in. Just you wait, I'll beat you one day"  
"And why would you like to beat me, little Undyne?"  
"Because people say you're the toughest monster around and that's bullcrap! If anyone has to be the toughest it gotta be me!"  
"Haha, so that's it? I can certainly admire your goal, little Undyne... but it's something you'll have to work hard on"  
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too full of yourself. I'll keep getting stronger and then-  
"I think you misunderstand me. I'm not sending you away. In fact, I'd like to make you an offer"

The large monster had kneeled down and offered a paw to he warrior-fish.  
"Little Undyne... would you like to know how to beat me?"

* * *

Undyne wondered how her old self would think of her if she saw her now. Back then she had been nothing more than a street hooligan, with nothing but the rags on her back, her calloused hands, a lust for fighting and a fire in her heart. Punching, kicking, biting and clawing her way from one day to the next, all in service to nothing more than herself and her ego.  
Now she was the captain of the Royal Guard, clad in the finest armor available in the kingdom, responsible for the safety of something far, far more valuable than herself.

And it had all started with such a simple thing. An offered paw and a promise of a better, more meaningful life... if she had the will to take it.

"You fought well, captain" Valantis gloated, closer now "But like all your ilk you fall. I may not ever have the world I envisioned but I will make sure you will never have yours either!"

She glanced down at her hands. Once, they would have been covered in scar and blisters, testaments to a rough life on the streets. She remembered all those loox bullies she had set straight, all those 2-bit thugs who thought they were her equal, that one time she had beaten Aaron in arm-wrestling.

Her hands wore gauntlets now, a testament to how she had turned her rowdiness into a force for good. It had been a long path, and many times she had pondered stepping off of it... but He never let her.

* * *

It was a surreal moment. All she had done was feint a strike at his legs and then quickly reversed her attack to hit him in the chest instead... to complete success. The large monster had stumbled backward, arms flailing for balance before falling down on his rump. Undyne had dropped her weapon and crouched down beside him in an instant.

"Oh my god! Are you ok!? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit ya that hard!" She had almost bawled. This just... felt wrong. For years they had trained and spared and for years it had always been her down there on the floor...  
The large monster turned his head to face her. She had expected anger... but there was only pride.  
"Well done" he had simply said "You beat me, plain and simple"  
"Well, uhh" She had managed before being swept up in a bear hug.  
"Haha! I knew you had it in you, little Undyne!... though I suppose you aren't so little anymore!"

Undyne had been confused at first, but it slowly gave way to an immense pride and gratitude within her. She had beaten the toughest monster in The Underground... and she couldn't have done it without his help. But why would he do that? Why would someone go to such lengths to ensure they could be defeated?

There was more than one answer, but the one she understood then was simple: There were far more important things in life than being the toughest. He had thrown that title away, striven to do it, even, all so he could make a no-good street trash like her's dream come true.

* * *

"Know, as you die, Captain, that you will be the first of many. Your city will burn, your peoples' dust scattered to the winds... and I will laugh" Valantis said. His sword was hefted on his shoulder, ready to be swung and cleave her in 2.

Undyne grit her teeth at him, out of pain but also pure spite and disgust. This so-called "king" was as far away from her mentor as one could possibly be. He had been a true paragon of a noble warrior, one who only turned to violence as a last resort and never fought for personal gain, only for his people, their future and their safety. It was a set of ideals he had imparted unto her and which she had upheld as best she could... until now. With shame Undyne realized she hadn't been fighting Valantis for the sake of saving Ebott, instead, the foremost thought in her mind had been the achievement of doing so, the accolade of defeating The Bane of Monsterkind single-handedly. She had let her pride get the best of her and now it might end up getting her killed. He would be rolling in his grave if He saw her like this.

As He had once said 'The measure of a True Hero is not in their physical strength or magical prowess but in rather their willingness to use that in the aid of others'

She couldn't let scum like this kill her. It would be an insult to all she had gone through and to the memory of the monster who had guided her all this way... but she felt so tired. The spear in her gut like a beacon of pain sending waves throughout her body.

Damn it all! She couldn't give up now! She had accomplished so much and there was still so much to do... Alphys, Frisk, Asriel, Papyrus, people that relied on her. She would rather die than let them down.

* * *

"Fellow monsters! It is with great pleasure that I can bring you good tidings, even after our exodus to our new Home here underground. As many of you know, even after all this time, an unfortunate consequence of our banishment is that many feel they have no choice but to take their fears, doubts and despairs out on their fellow monsters. Understandable as that may be, we cannot allow such behavior to continue, but ever since Great Caderas was lost to us during The War, the Royal Guard has been without an effective leader. Well, friends, I am proud to announce an end to that! I have hereby appointed a new Captain of The Guard, who will be responsible for restoring it to its former glory, who will provide safety and comfort for our way of life and whom I have no doubt will do honor to her duty. Please, everyone, meet Undyne!"

The applause had been thunderous. The single most proud moment in her life and she owed it all to him. Standing up on the stage, clad in her shining new armor she had been unable to involuntarily flash her toothy grin. She had said something rehearsed about it all, but she couldn't remember. The task placed on her was huge; the first Captain of the Royal Guard since the war, but it was one she was more than willing to tackle.

As the applause had died down, her mentor had gone on to speak about other issues of the kingdom; the establishment of a boat system between Snowdin, Waterfall and Hotland, and a progress report on the construction of The Core.

With the address done the assembled monsters had filtered out of the garden in front of New Home where such events were held and Undyne had quietly walked up to Him as He was re-packing his papers.

"I... can't begin to thank you for all you've done for me." She had said.  
"Well, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't convinced you'd be able to carry this mantle"  
"I promise I won't let you down, it's the least I can do for everything you've-"  
He had turned to her then, and with a serious tone said "It's an important duty I've given you, Undyne, but I don't want you to do it simply out of gratitude to me. I want you to do it because you realize you have a courage, determination, and heart rarely seen in monsters and that you can use that for the betterment of all.

She had shrunk at his words, felling cowed despite him probably not even meaning to. Sensing this, His features softened and He placed a large paw on her shoulder.  
"And besides, I think you give me too much credit. You got yourself this far, I simply showed you the way, and even then... I must confess, I didn't do this only for your sake or because we needed a new Captain of the Guard. In truth... I also did it for myself"

He had glanced away, up at the quaint house where He lived, New Home, with melancholic eyes and Undyne couldn't help but notice the tarp-covered throne standing in the corner.  
"Undyne... I once suffered a great loss, even greater than the one I felt when we were forced Underground. I lost almost everything that gave my life meaning, any reason to get out of bed every morning. But watching you grow into the strong, proud woman you are today, bonding with you, seeing how far you've come... I can't help but feel you've given me something of that back"

He had turned back to her with the warm smile The Dreemurrs were famed and small pools forming in his eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't even be too far to say... that you're like a daughter I never had"

Undyne had felt stunned and a sensation she had never had before welled up inside her. She really, really couldn't understand how someone could be so... "Him" as He was, but she was immensely thankful someone was and that she had met Him.

"I... never really knew my dad" she had begun "but if I had to have one... I wouldn't mind it being you"  
She had felt stupid at her lackluster compliment, but He had still laughed loudly and pulled her close into a hug.

She had returned it as best as she could. It was still dizzying to her how much her life had changed because of this one monster, but she was determined not to let it all go to waste.

"Asgore... dad... thank you... I won't let you down"

* * *

"Any last words, monster?" Valantis spat the last word with contempt.  
She had. Quite a lot in fact, but where to start? That she was the Spear of Justice? That she would never fall to someone like him? No, better keep it simple.  
"A few" Undyne said "Think we're about done with the warm-up?" She wrapped her hand around the spearhead jutting out of her abdomen, then, with a grunt, pulled it clean out in a spray of dust.  
White-hot pain flooded her vision but it was nothing compared to all the work, wear and tear she had gone through before. Instead of slowing her down she felt something unlock inside her, something becoming unleashed. Perhaps it was what Asgore had seen inside her all that time ago.

Valantis took a step back in surprise at the sudden gesture. He slung his sword high and brought it down in a stone-cleaving chop. Just as it would have hit her, an immense blue flash filled the room, as if an azure thunderbolt had struck. Valantis flinched and as his sight returned he saw his sword had hit nothing but the ground... and that Undyne was standing right beside him, but... changed.

The single blue flame in her visor had grown to be an inferno, almost fully covering the top part of her helmet. Her red plume of hair flowed wildly, despite there being no wind, and with a strange, undulating rhythm, as if it was made of fire. Her armor, too, had changed, becoming more ornate and rugged. For Valantis, it was like suddenly coming face-to-face with a God of War come to judge him unworthy.

"What the he-" Was all he managed before The Captain slammed her spear straight through his leg. He fell on it but didn't give in, and with a roar of defiance changed his grip on his sword and swung it at her, meaning to bisect her. Just as it was about to hit, Undyne lazily threw her body sideways, literally rolling with her back on the blade and landing effortlessly on her feet. She quickly struck out again, piercing Valantis's other leg and forcing him to his knees with a pained groan. He tried to swing again but before he could get momentum behind the blow Undyne rammed her spear through his chest.

He went rigid. His sword slipped from his hand and a collective gasp of disbelief escaped from he surrounding ghostly soldiers.  
Undyne had been completely silent, partly because she felt stunned by the surge of power inside her, but also because of the immense sense of focus that had fallen over her. It almost took her a full second to realize she had run The Old King of Humans through with her weapon.  
As a spirit, she doubted he had any vital organs for her to hit but she had quite clearly caused him pain and that alone brought a satisfied smile to her lips.

"Ha...ha... oh, well done, Captain" Valantis coughed. She ripped her spear clean out, causing him to stumble over. He only just barely managed to catch himself with his good hand.  
"So you've, what, bought your miserable excuse for a city a bit of time? You didn't truly expect you defeating me would change anything, did you?"

She cocked her head to the side, still as silent as a statue.  
"What were you thinking would happen? That you would kill me? I'm already dead! Best you can do is shatter this form and send me back to The Void... but I will return. No matter how many times it takes I WILL make you pay... all of you. I will have my vengeance, curse you!"

He threw his arm wide, practically inviting Undyne to deal the final blow.  
"Do it, then. Cut me down. Send me back there to recoup my strength and gather my armies. There's nothing stopping me from coming back again and again... but I only need to win once"

Undyne eyed her defeated foe warily. She hadn't really considered this. He was dead, so of course, he couldn't be killed again, only temporarily sent back.

The only way to put an end to this was to scar him enough that he would never dare to.

"...You said you wanted a taste of courage, right?" Undyne stated.  
"Huh?"  
She cupped her free hand to her chest, sighed deeply, and allowed her soul to come forth. It was the same monster-gray as usual, but with a new, blue-ish glow to it. She brought her spear up and with a quick movement cut a small sliver off. She hissed as an ethereal, spiritual hurt filled her, but she grit her teeth against it, knowing it was a sacrifice for the greater good.

"Well... here ya go" she said and casually flicked the sliver over to Valantis, who caught it with a baffled look.  
"Wha... what are you... bah, if you think your monster-brand of compassion will sway me you're even more foolish than I thought" He huffed.  
"Oh, it's compassion alright" Undyne said "But not for you, you monster-killing degenerate, oh no. As one of my friends likes to say 'you're about to have a bad time'"  
"What?"

She whistled a sharp note, the same kind she used when she wanted her guards to stand to attention during training and the result here was the same. Immediately, each of Valantis's ghostly soldiers snapped their heads towards her.  
"Reckon' you boys wanted a piece of my soul as well? Well, you ain't getting mine, buuuuut, look who's got a piece..." She said and pointed her spear at Valantis before quickly kicking out, sending his sword clattering away out of reach, the sound itself hammering home to the soldiers the point Undyne was making.

Valantis, the king who had caused them so much fear, both in life and death, was completely vulnerable and wounded... and he had a small piece of a soul. Small as it was, it was still a feast for them.  
As one they closed in on their former liege, faces filled with revenge and hunger.  
"N-No! Stay back! As your king and lord I-I co-command you to stay back!" Valantis wailed in fear. The small piece of Undyne's soul had been bound to him and he couldn't let go of it.

Undyne retreated back, allowing herself a self-assured grin. Perhaps this was a cruel thing to do, but it was nothing he didn't deserve and there was nothing she wouldn't do to keep monsterkind safe... she had promised Him, after all.

She hissed from flare of pain from the gaping wound in her gut. The fight had ended and her body was coming back to normal. She used what healing magic she could, but it was clear she needed serious help before long.

She turned around and headed to the stairs leading to The Archive. With luck Alphys would have found the artifact by now and they could leave.

The thought of it kept her going, even more so than the sound of Valantis's spirit being torn to pieces by his own soldiers behind her.

* * *

"SlAsH ANd stab, murdER is tOiL, **tem will release u from dis mortal coil!** "

The Temminator's elongated arm caught Alphys's leg and she fell down with a painful crash. She heard the sound of a katana being unsheathed and spun on to her back.  
"NO! PLEASE!" She cried. She was answered by a wail from the tem as it accidentally grabbed the sword by the sharp end, releasing her in the process.

Alphys stumbled to her feet and raced away up the stairs, determined not to let this lucky break go to waste, but already she could hear The Temmienator catching up.  
"SwOrds r dUm, anD Not veRy fun, **but to get u from afar, tem has throwing star!** "

Alphys turned her head to look back, just barely managing to catch a glimpse of something metal in the air before it hit and lodged into her back painfully. She gasped and fell down again. Almost immediately the tems elongated arm got her again, wrapped itself around her waist, picked her up and threw her through the door to the hallway just before The Throne Room.

Alphys hit the wall hard and winced at the dual pain of the impact and the small shuriken in her back. She bit through it and looked up, seeing The Temminator cartwheeling through the door, launching into an impressive backward somersault before faceplanting hard unto the ground before her. It quickly got up, shook it off, and met her scarred stare with one of shaking, murderous intent.  
"Got U Nao! Like A FiSH ON a HoOk! **Tem will slay u, with dis weird book!** "  
It suddenly raised a book high, a smaller one bound in black leather and with the edges covered in deadly spikes The title, embossed in gold letters, read "The Necromonsterkon. A primer for the budding Necromancer"  
" **Now SCREEEEEAM!** " The tem squealed and smashed the spiked book down on her. Alphys threw her arms up in meek defense but knew it was the end.

" **Mmphh!?** "  
She looked up again through her arms. An armored hand had grabbed The Temmienator by its face and with a strong throw sent it flying back down the stairs to The Archive with a "Weeeee!"  
"Really, Alph? Of all the things to get the better of you... a tem?" Undyne chuckled.

"Un-Undyne!? You made it!" Alphys almost shouted in disbelief and fell over to hug her savior's legs.  
"Yup, won't be seeing anything of that jerk for a loooong time"  
"Wow, Undyne, you... Oh my god! You're hurt!" Alphys said in horror as she looked up and saw her wounds, including a gaping hole in her stomach.  
"Yeah, he might've gotten a few shots in... just a few" She shrugged off, but winced as the motion sent a flare of pain through her.  
"A few shots!? Undyne, I can practically see right through you! We got to get you back to The Airship!"  
"Wouldn't mind that... did you get the, uh, that thingamabob Parides wanted?"  
"Yeah yeah, but forget about that! Come, take my arm, I'll carry you if I have to!"  
"Oh come on, it's not that bad" Undyne muttered. As if to underline her foolishness she almost stumbled and fell immediately after.

Alphys grabbed her arm and although she was a fair bit smaller managed to carry a good deal of her weight, as Undyne leaned unto her. Slowly, they started their walk back to The Airship.  
"When we get back you're gonna take a break from your duties until we get you patched up, you hear?" Alphys said.  
"Uh huh"  
"I know you're tough and all, but... god, this whole trip turned out a lot more dangerous than I would have imagined"  
"mhmm"  
"Oh, and, uh, just FYI, that tem you threw... I think it was The Temmienator, y'know, from the stories"  
"Hmm"  
"So, uhh, it wasn't just a regular tem, it was... actually kinda freaky and dangerous"  
"Right"  
"... I think I'll just shut up"

Alphys casually reached into her inventory, satisfied to feel the satchel with the golden rods were still there as well as her other prizes... and something unexpected.

She withdrew the same spiked book the tem had tried to kill her with, having somehow ended up in her inventory. A guidebook on necromancy, a forgotten type of magic... might be an interesting read.

Parides would get his trinkets, but with a wry smile, Alphys wondered if in sending them here he might have given them what they needed to bring him down. Something told her this might be the beginning of the end for The Thronetaker.

* * *

 **With the adventure out of the way comes a time of rest and relaxation. The next chapter will probably be a bit more relaxed and fluff, so stay tuned!**


	10. The Old Year

**Shatterday, a time to reflect on the past year and what the next might bring.**

 **Given the times, however, there might not be much to look forward to, but it is still a chance to rest and unwind for the troubles ahead.**

* * *

Shatterday, the annual celebration of Frisk's and Asriel's shattering of The Barrier and monsterkind's return to the surface. A time when all of Ebott would come together, where the streets would be filled with music and merriment, all ending out in the great plaza in front of the castle, where booths with foods and games, and stages with shows and singing would be erected.

Even with The Void being unleashed and a new, suspicious king having taken the throne the bright optimism and festive nature of the monsters were undiminished. Something Frisk, Asriel, and their friends could appreciate.

Usually, the day would be punctuated by a speech from the king. An address on how far they had come and their goals for the future, but ever since getting the strange bag of golden rods from Alphys, Parides had retreated deep into his castle, no doubt to plot and scheme something dreadful.

But that was a bridge to cross when they got to it, for now, all were happy to finally have some time off to unload and relax.

The gang was assembled atop a grassy hill overlooking the plaza, food from Toriel's kitchen laid out on a blanket resting beneath the shadow of an expansive willow tree shielding them from the warming sun. The master chef herself sat at the end, like a benevolent lord at a banquet table, with Frisk and Asriel at her side, followed by sans and Papyrus, and lastly Alphys and Undyne.

"It's good to see you all again" Toriel said, gracing each of them with a warm smile "It's been too long, present circumstances notwithstanding" to which both of her children nodded.  
"speaking of circumstance, ya think you could hand me the circu-mustard, frisky?" sans said, gesturing to the "dog" on his plate.  
"OH MY GOD SANS! HOW DARE YOU BRING YOUR SORDID PUNS TO THIS DELICIOUS FEAST WITH OUR FRIENDS!?" Papyrus shrieked.  
"if anywhere, 'dish' would be the place to bring 'em, wouldn't it?"  
"Well I, for one, an appreciate some R'n'R" Undyne added in. She wore a featureless black tank top, that failed to completely hide the magically-infused bandage around her stomach, a necessity following her battle with Valantis. It evidently still hurt as even the smallest of movements elicited a grunt of pain from her.  
"Yeah, can't remember the last time I had a moment to myself. Seems like it's been all been one long show of deaths, takeovers and fights for the last few months" Alphys sighed.

"Well, that's why we're here. To forget about all that and just have a day to ourselves!" Frisk declared and raised her cup of soda up in salute vigorously enough it splashed most of its contents over Asriel sitting opposite her.  
"Y-yeah, that.." he bleated and likewise raised his cup, with the rest of the crew following suit. Afterward, they quickly fell upon the vast array of food displayed before them.

"Soh, whaf haf you behn up tho lately?" Frisk asked, looking at sans, while having half a plate's worth of pie hanging out of her mouth.  
"i've been... in between jobs" sans shrugged.  
"WHAT MY BROTHER MEANS TO SAY IS THAT HE RECENTLY QUIT HIS LAST JOB AND NOW LOUNGES AROUND EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE! HIS LAZINESS HAS REACHED NEW, UNPLUMBED DEPTHS!"  
"as I said, in between jobs, my last one and the next one"  
"BUT YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN SEARCHING FOR ONE!"  
"doesn't mean i'm not gonna get one. y'know, i think it all chalks up to an ol' eye-socket injury i had a while back"  
"Oh?"  
"yeah, i just can't see myself workin'"  
"Oh my god, sans..." Both Papyrus and Frisk deadpanned.

Beside them, Asriel wolfed down an exceedingly large cinnamon-coated mammoth snail. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Alphys reading a strangely evil-looking book, with spikes lining the rims. He picked up a smaller snail and gently tossed it at her, making her jump in surprise.  
"Whats that you got there?" He asked.  
"What? Oh, eeh, j-just something I found in the hidden archives, nothing special" she quickly fired off.  
"It's a book on necromancy" Undyne blurted.  
"N-necromancy? Really?" Asriel said, tilting his head sideways with a worried frown. "That sounds... ominous"  
"Oh, well, it's not. I mean, it is, but, it's not that I'm going to use it... or anything..." Alphys said, cheeks starting to glow.  
"So you're just reading a book on dark magic... for fun?" Asriel raised an eyebrow.  
"Uhmm... Yes?"  
"... Well, alright then" he shrugged.

Alphys let out a sigh of relief. Maybe taking a book on such controversial magic along to the picnic wasn't the best of ideas, but if her hunch was correct... she might just be on to something extremely important, something she was once again reminded of as she opened the book on where she left off, a chapter on: " _Correct exfiltration or extraction of metaphysical essences from negative space within reasonable power spectrums_ " or, put more simply, how the pull a soul out of The Void that couldn't leave on its own.

* * *

After a while, the group descended into the calm, carefree and familiar banter that had been the norm in what seemed like forever. Papyrus talked about how he had been offered a role in one of Mettaton's new flicks with his usual enthusiasm, nevermind that his role was "Skeleton nr. 8", had a screentime of approximately 3 seconds, all of which consisted of him lying still on the floor. Frisk and Asriel detailed the volunteer work they had done in the human refugee camp, which seemed to grow on a daily basis as more and more people fled the hordes of lost, angry souls. All the while careful to talk as little about Parides as possible, he had ruined enough happy times for them.

Even Undyne added in with her story of how she had totaled Valantis in a fight just a few days prior, once a couple of seaweed-flavored beers had lessened her tongue, raised her spirits and dulled the pain of her wounds.  
Toriel remained mostly silent, only adding her opinions and anecdotes here and there. Almost everyone there, however, would agree that the former queen looked much aged, the current events weighing heavily on her.  
Nevertheless, for the first time in a long while, she smiled and everyone there was happier for it.

* * *

As the hours passed and the sky turned from clear blue into the bright orange of dusk, the time came to head home. The Skelebros were the first, with Papyrus explaining he had to get up early to prepare for his audition and sans mentioning he had to booby-trap the house as much as possible in preparation for that. Alphys and Undyne were next. In her effort to dull the pain Undyne had gone overboard with the liquor and had fallen asleep face first into Alphys's bosom. The red-faced lizard has excused them both, muttering that it was time to change her bandages anyway, and had dragged the warrior-fish by the arms down to their car.

Left were only Frisk, Asriel, their mother, and a whole slew of greasy, empty pots and plates. Frisk and Asriel had offered to help clean up but was refused. Night was coming but The Shatterday was still young and shouldn't be wasted on doing the dishes Toriel had explained, gesturing her head towards the plaza in the city.  
There were more people than ever now. The Shatterday festival would easily and often last well into the morning. Neither Frisk nor Asriel had ever been there that long, their duties coming in the way, but now that Parides had taken that off their hands, perhaps it was time to fully enjoy what some monsters speculated could be the last Shatterday.

Hand in paw, Frisk and Asriel bade their mother farewell and had gone down the hill, looking forward to the night.

* * *

Even though the festival was crowdier than ever, the guests themselves had changed a bit. The youth of Ebott was all over, playing games at the booths, dancing, and generally doing their best to forget there was a war going on.

Going through the entrance to the festival, Asriel felt a pressure on his left arm and looked down to see Frisk resting her head there as she walked.  
"This is nice" She said with a sigh of ease.  
"What, the festival? Yeah, I don't think it ever had this many people before"  
"I was more thinking about your fur, but yes, this is great as well. Almost makes you forget- OH MY GOD, IS THAT A PLUSHIE OF MOM!?" She suddenly shrieked, making Asriel wince as the sudden whining noise in his ear. She darted over to a game booth with rows of plushies, one of which, sure enough, looked a lot like Toriel.  
"GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!" Frisk said, pointing at it while pulling his arm. Asriel only managed a choked "Wha-" before a familiar figure came into view.

"Well now, fancy seeing The Dragon of Ebott and little Frisky bits here... its been a while" it said with a dip of its head.  
"BURGERPANTS!" Frisk declared louder than intended, still hyped up over her plushie discovery.  
"Howdy" Asriel greeted.  
"Heyho" he said back "Heard what happened with you and, uhh, you losing the crown and all. Tough break"  
"Thanks, and what about you? Last I heard you worked at MTT?"  
"Well, you know how it is. Boss makes it big and us lesser grunts get sacked"  
"Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that"  
"Ah, its no biggie. If I'm to make it to the top I'm fine with it not being the top of a fast food chain"  
"So you switched to working a carnival booth?"  
"It's, ahh, a temporary gig"  
"Right..." Asriel finished with a small shake of the head. "Anyway, I think Frisk got her eyes on, eh, the Toriel-plushie there. What's the game?" He asked, practically already knowing. It was a classic; 3 tracks, each with a moving set of targets to hit. A sign advertised how monsters could use magic, and a basket of baseballs was set out for humans to use. To his side, Frisk was still staring wide-eyed at the Toriel-plushie, squishing her cheeks and making "Nuuuu" sound.

"Ah, well, to tell you the truth; the game's rigged" Burgerpants explained matter-of-factly.  
"Rigged? Rigged how?"Asriel asked.  
"Eh, it's only about 1 out of every 5 contestant that wins, I'm not really sure, my managed was bit drunk when he explained... but you know what? You can just have it" He said, and handed the Toriel-plushie over to Frisk who replied with a squeal of delight, hugging it close. To her side, Asriel raised a confused eyebrow at Burgerpants.  
"Really? Just like that? Won't your manage get upset?" He asked.  
"Probably" Bugerpants shrugged "But... I've worked in retail most of my life and I've learned there are things far more important than your job. Now, Frisk and me, we go waaaaay back, way before you even shattered The Barrier" Burgerpants said, glancing over at Frisk who was too busy cuddling her new plushie to pay attention.

"You know the saying 'They never remember you once they reach the top'? Well, I've had that confirmed for me a fair few times now... except for Frisk" He nodded over to a plaque on the wall, inscribed with the words "Royal Endorsement Award For Excellent Character. By Order Of Her Royal Majesty Queen Frisk Dreemurr"  
Asriel had to blink a few times in surprise. He hadn't heard anything about this.

"Honestly, I had... kinda gotten used to the fact that I would always get left behind or forgotten somehow. Heck, even my own parents failed to show up at my birth"  
"What!?"  
"Yeah... Anyway, the point is that Frisk... she is the first one to remember me, she is the **only** one to remember me. She was only queen for such a short time and still... she remembered our little talk. If it weren't for her endorsement I wouldn't be starting on the Royal Business Academy next week... 'course, there's the trouble of all these spirits causing havoc, end of the world and all that, but eh, gotta take your wins where you can get 'em, right?"  
Burgerpants looked back up at Asriel, with a look that all but said 'it's all going to work out in the end'  
"You take good care of her, y'hear? She's one of kind. And hey, if you ever go up against Parides, you got my vote"  
Asriel was just about to respond that they didn't do elections in Ebott but thought better of it, realizing what Burgerpants meant. Instead, he chuckled lightly, feeling a sense of pride fill his chest "Thanks, and don't worry, I will" he said, turning and pulling Frisk close by her shoulders as they walked further into the festival, hugging her a bit closer than before.

* * *

A large space had been cleared out in the middle of the plaza in preparation for the main event of the night. A large stage had been assembled at the end, and at the stroke of midnight 'The Yowlers' would sing the "Song of the year". The song was a vocal-less symphony of howls that sought to capture the essence and events of the year, the ups, and downs, the joyous occasions as well as the tragedies.

Frisk and Asriel entered onto the plaza just as the band was setting up. The hustle and bustle were quieter here but it was nevertheless crowded with families, pairs, and groups. The air was buzzing with excitement and talk about what the previous year had brought but cautiously little about what the next might bring.  
Up on the stage, the band got into position in front of their microphones. Asriel felt his heart lurch a bit in anticipation at the opening notes, after all, it had included him.

The Yowlers started off with a low, quiet noise, almost as if they were humming. Then, suddenly, a sharp yelp pierced the air, followed by a low, mournful dirge.  
Asriel well remembered. Last year's Shatterday, when Doggo had accidentally taken a bullet meant for him, dying in the process and plunging the city into a week-long state of disbelief. He sighed, the song and memory almost moving him to tears.  
After a while, The Yowlers switched their tone to a higher, more upbeat one. The time after Caderas's and The prophet's conspiracy, in which monsterkind faced much more leniency from the human government. A time of progress and much to be proud of.  
He felt a nudge in his side and looked down at Frisk.  
"Hey, wanna dance?" she asked.  
Despite the innocence of the question, Asriel felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. All around him other monsters had broken out into dance as the Song of the Year changed into it's more fast-paced and upbeat part.

Without waiting for an answer Frisk reached up and took his right paw into her hand while placing her left on his shoulder, with him copying the gesture, to gently lead him into the throng. It was a strange thing, he knew 12 different ways to break an arm and 25 different methods to break out of a chokehold, 34 if he had his quarterstaff, but the art and elegance of dance had always eluded him. Not long after returning to the surface, his mom had tried teaching him a dance often used in the remaining human royal courts, an effort she had repeated with Frisk but had never really stuck with him. The art of Slow Dance.  
But he had nothing to fear. As soon as Frisk got into position it suddenly became the most natural thing in the world to keep up with her and like a guide on a treacherous mountain trail, she led him through the crowds somehow easily avoiding bumping into others.

As the Song of Year increased its tempo, the surrounding monsters delved into the more energetic and wild turns and jumps one would usually see at the nightclubs, yet Frisk and Asriel continued their calm, elegant yet simple dance. Despite the ease and slowness of it, Asriel felt his pulse quicken, no doubt because he adored every second of it together with Frisk, but also because he knew how the Song of the Year would end... everyone did. Frisk knew it was coming as well and rested her head on his chest as they kept their dance going.

Sure enough, just as it seemed like the song would reach a jubilant and exciting climax it dipped back down to a slow, somber tone of grief, finally ending with a punctuating, drawn-out howl that betrayed an uncertainty for the future but not one void of hope.

The loss of Asgore was still a deep wound in many monsters...

Frisk and Asriel continued their dance of simple steps and turns. Both had their eyes closed with Frisk resting her head on his chest and Asriel gently nuzzling her shoulder. It took them almost a full 5 minutes to realize the place around them had gone quiet and as the spell broke and they looked up, they found the rest of the gathered monsters looking at them with admiration.

Almost as if she had been expecting this reaction, Frisk gracefully slid to his side and bowed like an actress thanking a patient audience with Asriel only dumbfoundedly and clumsily managing to follow suit.  
The crowd exploded into cheers, jubilation, and whistles, shouting their praises, even the somewhat... more crass ones.

 _"ASRIEL! TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF!"_  
 _"Man, why can't my girlfriend be as cute as Frisk?"_  
 _"Wooooooot! It's the Dragon of Ebott!"_  
 _"Hashtag: FriskBestHuman20XX!"_

It was an almost surreal moment, the exact opposite of what so many of his nightmares had been about. Here he was, with the person he loved the most, a spotlight trained on them and surrounded by his people cheering them on.  
Something welled up inside him. It was a sense of accomplishment and of being filled with Determination.

He looked down, meeting Frisk's eyes. In that instant, he knew he could toss a stone into the sea of devotion in her heart and it would take an eternity for it to reach the bottom.

He just prayed he would be worthy of all of this when the time came.

* * *

From atop the balcony in the royal castle, Undyne had a good view of the festivities. The Song of the Year had just ended yet people seemed to be applauding a dancing pair in the middle instead of the band, though she couldn't quite make out who.

A great cascade of fireworks shot up from within the festival and even though Alphys had given her something for her hangover, turning it into a mild, pleasant buzz instead, the exploding lights still hurt her eye.  
She turned around, taking it as a sign that she might as well get on with her job. Lately, she had taken it upon herself to patrol the castle interior, for the king's "Safekeeping" a weird notion, given that Parides was much more powerful than herself, but it did give her a good excuse to keep an eye on him.

She stalked up the stairs to Parides's living quarters, finding the door half ajar, with what sounded like voices coming from it, but... strangely muffled, as if they were spoken out loud in an echoing cave far away.  
As quietly as she could in her armor, Undyne inched close to the door, still unable to make out what was being said. She peeked inside, a large armchair was facing away from her but judging from the impressive pair of horns jutting out over it as well as 2 robed, white-furred arms at the side it could only have been Parides sitting there.  
Much more strange, however, was the swirling mist in front of him. A mist that seemed to flow with changing images, like a TV screen.

She leaned in closer to get a better look. In the mist, she saw a pair of monsters she had never seen before, a male and a female atop ornate thrones. White-furred and with caprine features, clad in old but elegant royal clothes. The male was looking at the viewer in meek sympathy while the female leveled what sounded like thunderous accusations and insults at them. The mist darkened, and what looked like dark tendrils snaked in from the corners. For some reason, Undyne felt an immense sense of hopelessness and despair come over her and she had to reach out and steady herself to keep her from falling to her knees.

The mist swirled, becoming indecipherable for a few seconds, before settling on a new view. A young human woman with long, golden hair and a beauty that radiated infinite peace and patience. A pair of white-furred arms emerged from either side of the view, holding a small box and it occurred to Undyne that whatever she was seeing it was through the eyes of someone else. The box was gently opened, revealing a beautiful but simple emerald ring. The woman stepped back in shock, hands flying to her mouth and for a brief moment Undyne felt a pang of sympathy for whoever was holding the ring. The woman's hands slowly fell over her heart and a graceful smile crossed her face. She uttered a single word but as ever Undyne couldn't quite make out what it was, she didn't need to, as the view suddenly surged forward and she saw same white-furred arms embrace her in a hug and the view grow watery with what she could only imagine was the tears of the eyes she was looking through.

The mist swirled again, this time coming to a stop showing the woman from before, now wearing a fine wedding dress, embossed with golden lines curved into icons of flowers, leaves, and birds. She walked closer, taking the white-furred paws of the viewer into her hands. She started speaking and despite not being able to hear it clearly there was no doubt in Undyne's mind that it was words of grace and kindness.

Suddenly, the same dark tendrils from the first scene started coming into view again and despite the serenity of the woman in her beautiful dress Undyne felt the same overwhelming despair from before come over her. The white-furred arms suddenly lashed out, pushing the woman to the ground, the view turned, showing the viewer rushing out the door and sprinting down a hall. Undyne couldn't for the life of her understand it, all she could feel was a deep, inexplicable fear.

The view dashed for a set of downgoing stairs, coming to a stop just before reaching them. It turned around, coming face-to-face with the woman, features filled with apology and regret, having apparently caught up with whomever she was seeing through. They struggled, the woman trying to calm the viewer as best as she could, but even without being a part of it Undyne could sense the viewer was filled with an unstoppable dread and despair.

The white-furred arms lashed out again, grabbing the woman by the arms and with a strong pull threw her down the marble stairs.  
Despite the need for silence, Undyne couldn't keep herself from gasping at the horror she was witnessing. The woman tumbled down, leaving small spatters of blood on every other step and as she came to a stop at the bottom Undyne could clearly see her neck was broken.

For a few seconds, the view rested on the limp body of the woman, the black tendrils slowly disappearing. The view then angled upwards and began shaking as strange sounds began emanating from it. It was either crying or laughing but Undyne couldn't quite tell what exactly.

The mist swirled for the last time, showing a scene that only lasted for a few seconds, that of a headsman's axe coming down on the view, striking it somewhere below...  
… a beheading.

The mist disappeared. Undyne quickly skulked back, finding her heart was racing. Whatever she had just seen it had to be important to Parides. She had to get to Frisk and Asriel and tell them about-  
"Enjoyed the show... Captain?" Parides's low voice said out loud.

Undyne felt a shiver of fear run down her back. How did he know!? Or did she just imagine the voice?  
"I know you're there, Captain. Just come out, let's not make this any more awkward than it already is"  
With a sigh of defeat, Undyne turned to walk back through the door, into Parides's living quarters. The King had risen from his chair, facing her with both arms behind his back. She spotted faint wet lines on his cheek and his eyes were more red than usual.

"What did you see?" He asked. He didn't sound angry at least.  
Undyne looked aside. In truth, she wasn't really sure, though she could wager a good guess.  
"I'm... I don't really know, sir" She answered.  
"Oh come now, if any of all that warrior-wisdom you like spewing about is anything to go by you got a decent head on your shoulders, captain"  
"... It was... a memory, wasn't it?"  
Parides seemed almost uncomfortable with the answer, but nodded nonetheless.  
"A memory indeed. One had I had almost forgotten. I don't remember much of my past life, there's only been this nagging sense of self-loathing I could never really place or explain... until I saw my descendants out there at the festival. Seeing them... made me remember something"

He drew in a deep breath, no doubt steeling himself for what he was about to explain.  
"Ever since I came back I knew I had to save monsterkind, but now... I realize it was for more than one reason... there was 2"  
Undyne cocked her head to the side, gently urging him to continue.  
"I made a promise once. A promise to the best person I had ever met. A person I killed..." He said, almost a whisper.

He cupped a paw to his chest and with an exhale withdrew his soul. The same 2/3 soul as before, flashing with the colors of the power of the human souls within.  
"This accursed thing... my soul... I know you and the Royal Scientist has been looking into it, so allow me to answer the question fully; I have never, and will never be able to feel or express **Hope**...  
When my parents first learned that they were appalled. I'm told my mother even considered a 'do-over' for how could a pure-breed Dreemurr ever be born with such a damaged soul?" He said, voice dripping with scorn.

Undyne had very little sympathy for the king, but still felt a flicker of regret for him.  
"Without hope, there is despair. Every time I am uncertain about something important to me I... become lost in a sea of fear and despair. Almost my entire youth I was kept away from the outside world, forbidden from leaving the castle. I spent as much of it as I could in the libraries, learning about the world I couldn't see for myself. But also to become as certain of the going of the world as I could. Doubt is like poison to me, captain. I HAVE to be certain in anything I do and for the most part I was successful, until... my parents decided to get rid of me. They knew it wouldn't do to have someone with a soul like mine become ruler of our people, so they married me away to the daughter of a human king that was a friend of our family, while my newborn little sister became the heir apparent instead" He said. A faint smile crept across his face and Undyne guessed that this 'daughter' was the woman she had seen in the memory.

"I was... quite lucky in that. She was the bravest, kindest, smartest most beautiful person I had ever know. Alarielle, she was called. Even when I told her of my condition it only spurred her to greater sympathy for me. I knew for certain this was someone I would be more than happy to spend my life with, and even if I didn't she had more than enough hope for the both of us"  
His face fell and a shadow came over his eyes.

"Then, our wedding day... the day I... we both died. We talked about our future, of our love for one another and then... the pitfall, our future as king and queen. I hadn't even thought about it. I had traded the stewardship of monsterkind for a kingdom of humans, I hadn't considered that one day I would still be king.  
I can't even remember that much, only that I ran, that I needed to get away from the source of my sudden hopelessness and despair... but she caught up with me. I was lost in a storm of fear and horror and despite all her grace, Alarielle only poured more fuel on the dark fire inside my soul. And so... I did the only thing I could think off to get rid of it..." He screwed his eyes shut, his face torn in a mask of self-loathing.

Undyne thought back to the scene of the viewer throwing the woman down the flight of stairs with a sinking heart. She was anxious to leave but still felt compelled to stay and hear it to an end.

When Parides opened his eyes again they were stained with lacrid droplets. His voice was heavy with a burden that had been carried for thousands of years.  
"Do you understand now why I spent so long in The Void? In the last moments of my life, I killed the one person I loved the most and the one who loved me the most... because I felt afraid and scared. I did that... and I laughed. I laughed because of the immense relief, I felt the fear leave me. I was a coward that committed a heinous act. When Alarielle's father found out what I had done... well, you saw for yourself... but that was only the beginning of my punishment"  
He looked back up at Undyne. Small tears were falling again, in stark contrast to the determined, almost angry look on his face now.  
"I had been in The Void for so long I had almost forgotten her... Alarielle was always so fascinated with us monsters and so I promised that were I to ever be given a second chance I would do whatever it takes to save us. Even if I had to break out of The Void itself to do it and no one, not you, not even my descendants will get in my way!" he finished, lips curled back in a wolfish snarl.

Undyne took it all in, not flinching but still not unmoved. There was more to Parides that she had expected, she admitted. But personal tragedy was no excuse.  
"Heh... you remind me of our own little furball, in a way" She muttered.  
"... Asriel?" Parides wagered with a confused look.  
"Yup" Undyne nodded "You seek redemption, something he once did as well... still does in a way I think" She crossed her arms and straightened her back "I know you've heard what happened to Asriel, how he died and came back as a flower and what he did in that state. When Frisk saved him, he was so taken with remorse and regret that he was willin' to do almost anythin' in the name of redemption, to the point he would'a been happy to give his own life if need be, not understandin' that doin' so would only repeat the mistakes of the past. Put simply; his first death caused a lot of misery, if he had sacrificed himself, no matter how noble the cause, it would only have made things worse"

Parides blinked a few times, taking in the words "And you think... I'm doing the same mistake?" He asked.  
She shrugged "A lotta people don't agree with what you're doin'. Bottom line is; there's nothin' wrong with wantin' to atone for past mistakes. Ya just have to be careful you don't commit even bigger ones doing so"  
"I know what I'm doing..." Parides hissed.  
"I'm sure you think you do. Now, if that was all" Undyne said and turned to leave.

"I can imagine you're going to inform my descendants about our little tête-à-tête here" Parides said behind her, more a statement than a question.  
"I might" she grunted back.  
"I see... just know, change is coming to Ebott, Captain. You would be wise to place yourself on the right side of history" Parides finished.

Undyne reached the door, turning her head to fix her eye on the king  
"Oh, don't worry about me... sir. I know where my loyalties lie"  
With that, she left into the corridor beyond.

* * *

 **We're nearing the end of the ThroneTaker Arc, Parides's final ploy will soon be enacted.**

 **Oh, and a belated Happy New Year to you all! Here's hoping its gonna be a great one!**


	11. Parides's Gambit

**The end is nigh. The end of what our friends have fought to build, the end of a fair and good way of life for all monsters... even the end of the world.**

 **But even when faced with defeat and bleakness on all sides, there is one constant that will always hold out as long you yourself do.**

 **That of Hope.**

 **Also, I wanted to get this our earlier but has been acting up early. Something about an Error 1 and not letting me post documents. Anyways, here it is!**

* * *

The living room of Alphys's and Undyne's house was usually a loud place to be. Either it would be filled with the pantings and wheezes of Alphys as her partner tried to whip her into shape, or it would be a place of fan-girlish squealing as the two of them watched their favorite show on the TV.

But now, despite being more crowded than usual, it was quiet. The Dreemurs occupied the couch, Undyne had her own chair fashioned partly from numerous swords, axes and spears, inspired by a show she was watching. Alphys was down on a Mew Mew Kissy Cutie bean bag and sans was off to the side of the room, having decided to keep his brother out of the day's events. The evening light of the setting sun in stark contrast with the gloomy atmosphere.

The night before Undyne had been on guard duty in the royal castle and had witnessed a revelation about Parides. She had seen what had led him to become the way he was, his hope-less soul, the cold disdain of his parents, his proposed union with a human princess and how he had inadvertently thrown away his only chance at a happy, peaceful life due to an extreme, despair-filled panic attack.  
Undyne had gathered her friends and told them about her discovery and now they sat, each of them digesting the new information.

Toriel was the first to break the silence "Stars..." she sighed with a slow shake of her head "When I married my Gory he warned me that the name 'Dreemurr' had long been one of tragedy and misfortune. I always thought he referred to his own loss in the war, but now... it would seem it goes back way further"  
Beside her, Asriel nodded along, not really sure what to make of it all. He despised Parides but couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. Hope was such an integral part of a monster's way of being. Even in his darkest moment, when he had resigned himself to his fate of returning to being Flowey, he had, at least, the hope that his friends and family would be happy on the surface with Frisk. If he hadn't even been allowed that...

He shuddered at the sheer bleakness of it. To live without being able to Hope, or worse, had every attempt to do so instead fill you with the deepest despair, had to be a maddeningly dark existence.

"be that as it may, we still need to get that floozy off of the throne" sans said.  
"He still has the power of 6 human souls" Frisk pointed out.  
"Well, we'd better find some way to take him down! If I have to serve under that bastard for the rest of my life I'm gonna do something we're all gonna regret!" Undyne declared, rising from her chair and punching her fist into her palm.  
"Even if we all went against him together, we wouldn't stand a chance" Asriel replied drearily "And if what you said is true then Parides doesn't seem the kind of guy that does anything without being 100% certain of it. I'm not sure we can even talk him down"

"What about... a rebellion, then?" Frisk offered after a moment of silence and Asriel felt a shiver run down his back that Frisk, of all people, would be the first to suggest something like that.  
"There are many that would like to see Parides gone" Toriel nodded "but even so, I will not put innocent lives in harm's way. I'm afraid our late ancestor won't go down without a fight"  
"Which won't happen as long as he has the human souls" Undyne sighed and plumped back down in her chair.  
Asriel noticed sans staring at him from the side and looked up at him. "if only there was some way to get those souls outta him" sans said through his grin and with just a hint of sarcasm. Asriel cocked his head to the side. What did he mean? Was there-  
A sudden idea came to mind alongside a burst of careful hope. Perhaps there was a way.

"Eh, speaking of human souls" Alphys suddenly piped in "I've, uhh, read a bit in the, uh, n-necromancy book here and I... think I've stumbled upon something important"  
All in attendance looked at her with interest, the one exception being Toriel who gave a small hiss of disgust as mention of necromancy, to Asriel's and Frisk's quiet surprise.

"You see, with The Void open as it is, it has become much easier to summon souls from there into the real world. Uhh, it's still going to require a lot of magic, but-"  
"And why in the world would we want more of those things?" Undyne deadpanned beside her.  
"N-not more! I mean one soul in particular... Asgore"  
"W-what!?" Frisk gasped "You can bring dad back? How!?"  
"Actually, with the right, uhh, 'materials' I can even make it so he gets his body back without him needing to posses a lot of human souls to hold him together" Alphys explained, a glint of pride of her discovery in her eyes.

"Necromancy is a dark, evil magic" Toriel said in an uncharacteristically dark tone and Asriel looked at her in surprise "M-mom?"  
"There is a reason it was banned and forgotten, Alphys" she continued.  
"I-I know, but, I figured it was... worth the risk?" Alphys hurriedly explained, flustered.  
"Mom, if dad is stuck in The Void shouldn't we at least try to get him out?" Frisk asked.  
The former queen lowered her head and sighed "You don't understand, children. Magic comes from the soul and it affects the soul. Dark magic feeds on and empowers the worst and vilest aspect of the soul it is used upon. I was but a small child when it was banned but I still remember the stories of why it was. How it inhaled kindness and exhaled hatred, how it could turn even the best of monsters to do the darkest of deeds"

A grim silence descended. Asriel remembered having read a bit about dark magic in the Librarby during his time as Flowey, but it had been half-forgotten works, more fit as bedtime horror stories than anything concrete. Still, despite this revelation, if there was any kind of way to get his dad out of The void and end his torment, no matter how twisted it was, it was worth it.

Alphys shuffled in her bean bag and spoke up "Even if dark magic can do that... it's still a sacrifice I'd be willing to make, for Asgore's sake. We all owe him so much"  
Toriel laughed quietly and looked up at her with a small smile "That's very noble of you, Alphys, but I am afraid it is not you who will be most affected"  
"W-what?"  
"If this 'ritual' works, my Gorey will be terribly vulnerable while he still lacks a body. The dark magic would affect him deeply" her head fell a bit, looking down at the floor "I fear that even if I got my Gorey back... it wouldn't truly be him..."  
"I still think we should do it" Frisk said calmly, leaning over to wrap her arms around Toriel "If what Parides said about The Void is true then we have to get dad out of there, even if it might change him"  
"I agree" Asriel said "Dad deserves better than to remain there for eternity. We have to save him"

"Right" Alphys breathed in relief at the acceptance of her plan "And, honestly, I think it's something Parides would be more than happy to help with"  
"What!? Why would we need his help?" Asriel spluttered.  
"Ah, didn't I mention? Sorry, uh, well, usually a spell of this magnitude would require a magical force the equivalent of 12 humans, but due the present circumstances, we only 4.2"  
"4.2 human souls?"  
"Yes, uhh, I won't bore you with the math, but as far as we know Parides is the only one with that kind of power"  
"Right..."  
"Oh, and we will also need his dust... uh, Asgore's dust I mean, not Parides's"

Asriel closed his eyes and thought back to the moment he had last seen his dad alive. Bravely giving his own life to save the hundreds of monsters and humans fleeing the new community center.  
"I'll do it" Undyne suddenly said "I know where it is"  
"Undyne..." Alphys breathed.  
"It was my duty to protect him. I failed... Only fitting I'd be the one to bring what remains of him back to Ebott"  
"say, what about those on the other side? can ya bring those back?" sans suddenly asked.  
"The 'other side'?"  
"yeah, you know, where the peps who kept their hands outta the cookie jar and bought the farm goes to when they die"  
"Ah, right! That's actually an interesting chapter, uh, let me just find it there" Alphys muttered as she ran over to her desk to pick up the oddly-spiked necromantic tome. Sans returned his knowing, grinning stare back onto Asriel who couldn't help but furrow his brow in wonder.  
'Just what are you up to, sans?" he thought to himself.

"Here we are!" Alphys declared in triumph and smacked a claw down to point at a passage in the tome "So, uh, from what I understand its actually kinda easier to summon souls from the other side then from The Void, but... also more tricky. There was a theory called 'The Right of Return'. It's actually pretty easy to call upon a soul but because they lived a good life, it is said these souls have a right to refuse being summoned" Alphys explained.  
"Huh, wonder what this 'other side' is like. Bet they have, like, 400K HD-screens and unlimited gym memberships" Undyne huffed.  
Asriel was about to give a sympathetic laughter when he noticed everyone in the room was looking at him. He understood well enough, of all the people here he was the only one who had experienced death and then returning. He leaned forward and folded his paws.  
"Well... it's a weird place. It's like-"

" **ATTENTION CITIZENS OF** EBOTT **! YOUR KING DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION!** " The mechanically-laced voice of Parides sounded from streets outside where a loudspeaker system was set up throughout the city.  
" **FOR MANY MOONS NOW WE HAVE LIVED UNDER THE SHADOW OF EVILS FROM THE VOID, FEARFUL OF OUR LIVES AND FAMILIES, UNCERTAIN OF OUR FUTURE. NO MORE!** "

Everyone in the room shared a nervous look. His words were benevolent enough but there was an air of fearful unease.

" **BY MY STAR-GIVEN RIGHTS AS LORD OF MONSTERS AND SCION OF HOUSE DREEMURR, I, PARIDES DREEMURR, WILL SAVE US ALL! WE WILL RISE FROM FROM THE SHADOWS AND ASCEND TO THE HEAVENS, SAFE, AND CLOSER TO THE TO STARS THAN EVER BEFORE! SUCH IS OUR DESTINY! BY MY WILL!** "

The ground began rumbling and shaking. A cola-filled glass fell off a table, splashing the carpet with its content.  
"E-earthquake!?" Alphys squealed. As if to answer, her computer suddenly went off, beeping and bopping with a large, flashing "!" icon. She rushed over with Frisk and Asriel following.

" **DO NOT BE AFRAID, LOYAL CITIZENS. WHAT YOU'RE FEELING RIGHT NOW IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THIS WAR. SOON, WE WILL RISE AND THEN WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO FEAR AGAIN! WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO DOUBT! SOON, ALL WILL BE AS IT SHOULD BE** "

Alphys frantically went over her keyboard. A map of Ebott appeared on the screen with several yellow icons flashing at the borders.  
"Oh no..." Alphys breathed.  
"What is it? Is Parides causing the earthquake?" Asriel asked.  
"Yes, but... it's not an earthquake" Alphys pointed at the yellow icons "That... I think its the golden rods he had me and Undyne retrieve from the old archives!"  
"What are they doing?"  
"Parides... he's channeling an enormous amount of magic into them. They're... Oh my god... they're ripping Ebott right out of the ground!"  
"WHAT!?"  
"He-he's turning Ebott into some kind of floating city!"

Asriel's mind was racing. Parides's speech through the loudspeakers, lifting the city out of the ground. There could only be one explanation; this was how he was going to "save" monsterkind.

Not by finding a way to banish the spirits once and for all... but by taking Ebott, and thereby monsterkind, out of the war. In a floating city the spirits would never be able to reach them... but the rest of the world, including humanity, would be left to die...

"We have to stop this" Frisk hissed at his side, having come to the same conclusion.  
"So, that old milksop is making the whole city fly?" Undyne appeared behind them, seemingly undisturbed by it all "Honestly, that's pretty friggin' cool... but yeah, guess we'd better stop him"

The tremors were increasing in violence. A window pane fell out and all around the house furniture was toppling over.  
"How much time do we have, Alphys?" Asriel asked.  
"Uhh, well, I've never really run a simulation of something like this but I'd wager less than an hour" the scientist answered.

Asriel took a step back from it all and gathered his thoughts. All the pieces were here. This was Parides's final plan to save monsterkind... but it was the worst possible way to do it. Should he succeed, monsterkind would be safe but they would be returned to conditions similar to when they were trapped in The Underground. They'd the have the Sun over their heads but they would once again be confined to a small space, forever wishing for better days, forever wondering what might have been if they had stayed and fought.

Sensing his distress Toriel walked close and placed a paw on his shoulder "My son?" she whispered.  
Asriel took a deep breath. A lot had to happen in a short amount of time, but he was surrounded by the greatest and best friends and family anyone could wish for. With them nothing was impossible.  
He turned to his mom and took her paw into his "Mom, I think I can stop this but I need time" he said.  
"If that is the case I could go and... tamper with some of those 'rods' our fallen ancestor has placed, that might help" she answered.  
Asriel was momentarily taken aback at his mother's audacity. He knew she could straightforward and direct when she wanted to but that his mother, of all people, would propose sabotage like this still surprised him.  
"Uh, yeah, it just might" was all he managed.  
Toriel flashed a wry smile and pulled him in for a quick hug "I know that look in your eyes, heart of my heart. You have a plan, I just hope it won't be the last time I see it" she turned and gave all the assembled monsters a bow of farewell "And I better see you all when this ordeal is over! I have already attended too many funerals in my lifetime... now, sans, would you care to join me for this little trip?" she asked the skeleton as she made for the door.  
"would be my pleasure" he answered and joined her.

As they left Asriel turned to Undyne who folded her arms and huffed a quiet laughter. "I'm guessin' you got a job for me too?" she said.  
"I do... I need you to go and get my dad's dust as fas as you can"  
"Asgore's dus- **WHAT, NOW, OF ALL TIMES!?** " The captain suddenly burst.  
"Parides is the only one with enough power to bring him back! But that might not be true for much longer"  
"Waitwaitwaiwait, are you going to fight the bastard!? Asriel, as tough as you are, and I should know, I trained you, there's no way in hell you can beat that guy!"  
"I know, but trust me, this isn't the first time I've been in a fight like this"  
Undyne groaned and scratched the back of her head in quiet frustration but eventually relented "Alright, fine, I'm going, but you better know what you're doing" she finished as she stormed out the door headed for The Airship.

Asriel turned to the last ones in the room, Alphys and Frisk, who were looking at him expectantly. It occurred to him that this might be the last time he would ever see any of them. A battle for the future of all monsters was about to commence, one which, if he lost, would see all that he, Frisk and his parents had fought for come to ruin as Parides dismantled all the progress they had made and returned monsterkind to a regressive, cruel type of monarchy.

It would have been better if they hadn't left The Underground at all.

"What's up, goat-butt?" Frisk quipped. Even now, with he world almost literally coming down around their ears...  
"Frisk..." Asriel began taking her hands into his paws. "If... if all this fails I just want you to know-"  
"It wont"  
"Bu if it does I want you to know... even after all this time I never stopped looking up to you. Not one bit. Every monster alive owes you so, so much and none more than me. If I don't come back then, please, don't try and avenge me. Monsterkind will have more need of you than ever if Parides has his way and you mean too much to us to lose you over someone like me"  
"It. Won't. Fail" Frisk repeated with authority. Asriel couldn't help but feel encouraged by the simple words. Of course, when the Determined Child had set her mind on something, not even fate itself could stand in her way.

"I-if there's anything I can do to help, then... well... I'm available" Alphys offered somewhat awkwardly at the side.  
Asriel took a step back and looked them both over "Right. Alphys, Frisk, I need you to try and bring a departed soul back"  
"We'll need Asgore's dust first"

"No, not my dad, someone who has been dead for far longer. Someone whom Parides just might listen to..."

* * *

Night had come. With the tasks given out and a final farewell, Asriel had hurried home to change into his training robes, a set of purple form-fitting clothes held together by a sash at the waist and with a shoulder cape which Alphys had outfitted with access to an extra-dimensional inventory. The robes themselves had been paw-sewn by Toriel herself and had been heavily enchanted by both his parents. More durable than most forms of regular body armor and almost completely resistant to any kind of magical attacks. It was without a doubt the most protective and powerful set of armor in all of Ebott.

Though, against someone with the power of 6 human souls, he might as well be going naked. He knew he could never defeat Parides in a fight but there were other ways... which nevertheless required him to battle his ancestor. It all depended on if he could survive long enough.

He stood outside, his quarterstaff at his side. His weapon of choice was something he had chosen long ago when Undyne had first started training him. The quarterstaff had seemed an ideal choice, it allowed for plenty of defensive and offensive maneuvers but without any sharpened edges, it was unlikely to accidentally kill anyone with it. The staff itself was a plain looking straight stick with purple cloth wrapped around both ends but its simple looks were deceiving. The staff amplified and empowered any magic sent through it, allowing a simple fireball to be turned into a raging inferno.

He looked up at the royal castle, vastly grown in size and height in the time since Parides stole the throne. The rumbles in the earth were still there but had subsided to feeling like nothing more than a buzz in one's feet.

This was where the future of monsterkind would be decided, whether it would be pulled back into dark times or given a chance to fight for a better tomorrow for everyone. With a cleansing breath, Asriel took a step forward.

"You idiot..." He spun around. That voice. He swore he had heard it before. It sounded like-  
"Is this really how you want to go out? I mean, what do you hope to gain here? A moral victory or something?"  
"...Fl...Flowey?"  
"Golly, glad to see you haven't completely lost your mind"  
"Bu-but I thought you were gone!"  
"Nope, I've always been here, and lemme tell ya, having front-row seats to 'The Life of the Prince of Monsters' ain't half bad, but when you're trying to get your audience killed then I have to put my leaves down!"  
Asriel blinked a few times in surprise. He had almost entirely forgotten Flowey's existence. Last time he had talked with him was around the time Doggo had been killed a year ago.  
"Where... where have you been? You've been quiet for so long" Asriel asked out loud, privately hoping no one saw him 'talking to himself'  
"Enjoying the show mostly. When I roped ya into going after the kidnapped monsters I was honestly just hoping for some action, but boy, did I get more what I bargained for. Drama! Fights! Intrigues! Conspiracies! Even a bit of romance"  
"Flowey..."  
"Y'know, despite being such a do-gooder, Frisk is a lot less boring than I would have thought! She even gets my seeds boiling every once in a while, if you know what I mean"  
"Flowey, that's my wife you're talking about"  
"You're right, you're right, let's just address the Knight-Knight in the room, huh? What in the name of all that is golly **ARE YOU THINKING!?** "  
"I know how it looks like but I have a plan!"  
"There's no plan for something like this! You heard the sardine-soldier, we don't have a snowman's chance in Hotland at beating your grand-grand-grand cousin, or whatever the heck he is!"

Asriel cracked a wry smile "Really? You of all people should know, Flowey"  
"Know what!?"  
"What I intend to do"  
"Oh my god, just cut the bleating and tell me already!"  
"... You know what? No. You've been patiently watching 'the show' so far and I won't do you the disservice of spoiling the finale"  
"Urgh, FINE!" Flowey shrieked. Despite being nothing more than a persona in his mind, Asriel could practically feel him reclining back and crossing his stems in reluctant surrender.  
"You'd better not get us killed, horn-head" He grumbled.  
"Have hope"  
"I literally can't"

Asriel ignored the flower's further grumbles. Despite his demeanor, he felt almost relieved at not being entirely alone in the coming storm. Even Flowey could at times be decent company but he would never be someone he could rely on.  
A sudden, unbidden thought entered his mind and he looked up. The earthquakes had caused power outages throughout Ebott which had also removed all light pollution, meaning the sky was clear and full of twinkling dots.

The stars.

The stars were good. The stars were kind. The stars favored and loved monsters and were said to grant any wish placed upon them, that was what Toriel had always told him when he was little and now here they were, in his moment of need, looking down upon him. Parides had denounced this 'Astromancy' as being false, but what did he know? Faith and belief required some measure of hope.

Asriel fell to a knee, placed his staff on the ground in front of him and rested his forehead against it.  
"Howdy, stars" Asriel began, not really sure where to go with it. He heard Flowey groaning inside his head. "It's... been a long time since I last talked to you, but... I could really use your help. I'm about to do something very dangerous and there's a good chance I might not live through it. I... would like to ask you to look over me, and if I don't make it, take care of my mom, dad Frisk, and all my friends. They're going to need all the help they can get. That is the wish I make upon you. Uhh, if you would be so kind. You answered my last wish and I hope you will so again. Thank you" he thought, careful to remember how you weren't supposed to say your wishes out loud.

He raised his paw, extended a claw and willed magic into it. With it, he drew a star of shimmering magical fire in the air and with a gesture sent it flying up into the sky.

"Oh my god, I'd almost rather you got us both killed faster than having to partake in this cringy tomfoolery!" Flowey groaned inside him.  
"We monsters used to pray to the stars for luck and guidance long ago. Couldn't hurt to ask them now, could it?"  
"They're stars, Asriel! They're not alive, and they're definitely not divine! That's crazy!"  
"Ever been close to one? Close enough to check?"  
"Wha- no! That' doesn't make any sense!"  
"Then how do you know they're not looking after us?"  
"How do you know they are!?"  
"I don't" Asriel admitted with a shrug "I just hope they are"

Ignoring the sense of Flowey mentally deadpanning inside, Asriel took a deep breath, letting it cleanse him of his trepidations. Then, he moved up the stairs leading to the entrance to the royal castle.

* * *

Not too far away from Ebott there was a small town. Its original population had fled long ago and those that dwelled there now were those that had figured out the wandering hosts of evil spirits hadn't gone close to Ebott yet. No one knew what the town was called as someone had scavenged all the street signs.

In the town's only hotel a single light was on. Inhabited by 2 humans, one laid sprawled out on a couch fast asleep with a potent snot-bubble rising and falling from his nose with every breath. The other was deep in a newspaper a few days old. It was grim news all around. The death toll in what was called "The Void War" had reached incredible heights, with estimations swaying between 25-35% of all humans dead. The man reading the paper wasn't usually one to be scared but the news unnerved him. In his line of work, death was always close but to die to ghosts... that he had never seen coming.

A chill went over him, strange, given it was summer. He looked over at the radiator. It was on, but... there was something off. It took him almost a full 10 seconds to realize there was someone standing in the middle of the room. A small, ghostly child, transparent to being almost invisible unless directly looked at.

The newspaper slid from his hands as a cold fear came over him. One of the ghosts! And yet, all the ghosts he had seen were violent, almost feral beings that clawed, screamed and howled to get to their prey. This one was placid, looking at him with a knowing grin. It only made it all the more terrifying. It was hard to make out the details but the ghost-child seemed to be wearing a striped shirt, had shoulder-long hair. Their cheeks seemed more vibrant than the rest of their body, the one exception being their eyes, the only color to be seen, a hint of red.

"Howdy!" The ghostly child said in an echoing, ethereal voice "I've been looking for a meatbag like you! Someone who knows a certain someone AND with the right skills!"  
"What?" the man muttered in utter confusion.  
"Don't try and pull a fast one on me! I know aaaaall the dirty tricks you humans can do... but as it stands I do need your help"  
The man looked around in disbelief. Was this some kind of trick?  
"No, it's true. I'm a little spook-child who demands your assistance. Look here" The child said. A window suddenly flew open and a strong gust of wind flew in and over the newspaper. The pages fluttered wildly until it came to rest on an article with a picture of a human woman.  
"I want you to kidnap her and bring her to the entrance to Mt. Ebott. If you don't I'll steal your soul! URAHAHAHA!"  
The man righted himself in his chair, finally feeling his faculties returning "That is doable" he began "But a target of this importance won't come cheap. How do you imagine you would pay us?"  
The ghost-child cocked her head to the side, seemingly intrigued and amused at the same time.  
"Ah, human greed. I'm here threatening to take your soul and yet you dare ask for payment. Lemme show you something cool" the child snapped her ghostly fingers, the sound somehow sounding 'cold'.

From all around the room, more ghosts suddenly emerged from the walls. Glaring at the man and his still-sleeping companion with undisguised hunger for their souls. They paced like caged hounds, sniffing and yowling.  
"If you don't do what I say I'll let these schmucks turn you into a soul-kebob with a side of spirit-sauce!" the child threatened gleefully.  
The threat wasn't lost on the man, and it was certainly effective in scaring him even more, but at the same time, he felt anger at letting a child, of all things, get the better of him in such a way.  
"I propose this" he began, leaning over the table and folding his hands "You seem to be able to control your... 'friends' here. How about we do this job for you and in return, you promise us safety from them in, say, half a year?" he said, enjoying the look of stupefied indignity on the child's face.  
"D-didn't you hear me!? You either do this or we snack you!" The child retorted.  
An ember of confidence flared inside him. This child, whatever it was, didn't want to kill him. It was fronting. Clear as day in it's voice. "I'm not the one with a choice here. You said it yourself, you've been looking for someone like us. So what's easiest and fastest for you? Agreeing to a deal or looking for someone else like us?" The man said, appearing much calmer than he actually felt. He shuffled a bit in his seat and realized he was absolutely drenched in cold sweat.

The child relented with a sigh "Fine..." with a gesture it sent the other ghosts back and away through the walls and the chill from before vanished. "Just bring her to Ebott in 2 days time... or I'll come looking for you"  
"Before you go, I usually need a name for a client" The man hurried to say. The child hissed, no doubt at being called 'client'. It glared at him, no doubt pondering if he truly did need a name.  
"Chara"  
"Chara?"  
"Mhmm, don't tell anyone. If you do, I'll wrap you up in your own butthole"  
"Not to worry, discretion is important to us"  
"Whatever..." a gust of wind flew through the room again and the child dispersed into a swirling, silvery mist and was carried out the window.

The man let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. In all his time as a gun for hire, he had never expected something like this.  
"Woah" A voice came from the side. His companion, now awake "Did you just make a deal with a spook?" The larger man on the couch asked.  
"I... guess?"  
"I LOVE THIS JOB!"  
The first man shrugged and rose from his seat. "I'm going to get a shower, you start packing"  
"You got it, boss! Who's the mark?"  
He threw over the newspaper "The Princess and former Queen of Monsters; Frisk Dreemurr"  
"Royalty? Oh boy, these kinda marks are always so exciting, isn't that right, Lee?" The large man said gleefully.  
"They sure are, Sam, they sure are" Lee answered, privately wondering if this was what the child meant with him 'knowing a certain someone' not Frisk, but her consort.

Asriel. The one that got away. The one mark he failed to get.  
Maybe this was a chance to rectify that.

* * *

 **Those of you that read 'Crownquest' might recognize Sam and Lee. Consider it a bit of a tease for the next (And final) arc of The Void War.**

 **See you next time!**


	12. Dreams of Dragons part 1

**So, I know some of you might be disappointed with a somewhat small chapter after such a long wait. There is a reason, albeit a bit spoilery. Check the end notes if you wanna know.**

* * *

In the time since the Thronetaker's usurpation, the Royal Castle had changed many times and always for the more extravagant. Swimming pools, racing tracks, even a water-slide that went in and out of the castle in multiple places and which only Parides knew where it began and ended. It had fallen in poor taste with the rest of the Dreemurrs. Parides had the power of a god yet he only used said power for his own frivolities.  
And yet, as Asriel entered what used to be the foyer of the castle, he discovered yet another change that might not have been only for Parides' sake. The entrance had turned into a wide corridor with long rows of statues on either side. He examined the closest one. A finely-carved marble statue of a regal caprine monster. Asriel was momentarily taken aback at the details, the accusing look in its eyes, the dignified posture, even the creases in the robes as if the monster had in fact been turned to stone in the midst of a breeze. His eyes fell to the dais it stood upon, engraved with the words "Solaria Dreemurr"

Realization dawned on Asriel as he looked back down the corridor. These were statues of his family through the generations, the women to the right and men to the left. A sense of awe settled as a lump in his throat, it was like he was under the combined scrutiny of all his ancestors as if they were looking down at him through the marble eyes of the statues.  
He continued down in a more respectful manner. He couldn't quite fathom why Parides would place something like this, but in a way, he was glad he had. Most of the statues were of caprine monsters but to his mild surprise, there was a fair handful of humans thrown in here and there, princes and princesses from foreign lands married into the Dreemurr family of old. There was even a statue of a temmie wearing a cloak far too large for its size with the name "SoOpa-KinG Booby!" underlined by a small text scratched in with a claw that read "Don't ask..."

As he neared the end he finally recognized a few statues and names. He saw his dad cast in a heroic pose with his trident held high. Across from him stood Toriel, humble as always, with her paws folded neatly in front of her. Asriel couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in them, despite being made by someone so vile. A pride that shrunk away as he noticed that the next 3 plinths, inscribed with "Parides Dreemurr" "Asriel Dreemurr" and "Frisk Dreemurr" were empty. The ones with his and the Thronetaker's name were placed in front of each other in an almost combative manner, as if they would start rolling and smashing into each other at a moments notice. He understood the gesture well enough.

There could be only 1 Prince of Ebott.

But he also finally understood the reason behind why the statues were here. Like him, Parides found strength in his family, but not in the same way. Where Asriel saw warmth, comfort and love his fallen ancestor saw only power, dominance and most importantly, certainty in his lineage.

And this was the kind of Ebott he would create. Where name and dust carried more weight than your deeds and actions. Where a lifetime of hard work would never grant you the same luxuries and privileges as the happenstance of birthrights.

"Over my cold dead dust..." Asriel hissed to himself as he threw the doors to the throne room open.

The throne room itself hadn't changed since last time he had been there, still as overtly extravagant and extreme in its flaunting as ever. The atmosphere, however, was different. As soon as he entered the grand hall, Asriel felt his hairs stand on end, his teeth began itching and there was a dull pain in the back of his head. A sign that extreme amounts of magic were in the air.

The undoubted source of this, Parides, sat on his throne with his eyes closed. He held one of the golden rods in one paw, the runes on his horns glowed a strong blue and raw magical power arced between them as if they were 2 electrical pylons in fire and icy elements.

He opened his eyes and glowered at Asriel as he drew closer "Ah, descendant... funny, I knew you'd come and yet I can't help but feel kind of disappointed" He righted himself on his throne and nodded at Asriel's quarterstaff "Strong little stick you got. Can feel it all the way over here. Still, I'd wager mine has a bit more 'oomph'" he gestured to the golden rod in his paw "My grandfather made this, a bit of a strange fellow that, absolutely stark, raving mad but an unequaled genius when it came to the magical sciences. Even found a way to make magic negate gravity, as you can see" he said and settled his sight back on Asriel "Yet another member of our noble line forgotten in this 'new monsterkind'" he spat with disdain.

"There's nothing noble about what you're doing" Asriel retorted "And I'm here to stop you"  
Parides merely shook his head "Oh, Asriel. I knew you were a naive idealist but I hadn't taken you for a fool. I'm ending this war, I'm laying to rest all the fear we will ever have about The Void"  
"You're not ending anything, you're just ensuring things will never get better! We can still win this war without turning our back on the rest of the world!"  
"No, we really can't" Parides quickly replied, unimpressed.  
"I made a promise that we would save the world, that we wo-"  
"Well, I didn't!" Parides quickly cut in "A foolish promise of you to make. But hey, if the ghosts of your guilt ever comes to haunt you, you have my leave to tell them your dear ancestor came and took the throne from you. That's a force marjeure even one of those bone-headed idiots can appreciate"  
Asriel wanted to retort but the sheer amount of bile in his throat made that impossible. Parides must have noticed for he suddenly leaned back in a more passive manner.

"Look, Asriel, I want you to know; I don't hate humanity, I really don't. One of the greatest people I have ever known was a human. But as King of Monsters, I have a responsibility. I will always chooser monsterkind before humanity, there's nothing evil in that"  
Asriel didn't flinch, but the accusation in his eyes didn't diminish one bit. Parides snorted derisively in response.  
"Hrumpf. Guess it figures someone like you wouldn't understand. Sometimes you have to make hard choices, Asriel, it-"  
"Shut up..."  
"Huh!?"  
" **You Don't Know The First Thing About Hard Choices!** " Asriel spat and stomped a foot down "Stealing the throne, sending my friends into danger to find your artifact and now this, turning your back to the world and dragging every monster with you... don't you dare speak to me of difficult choices. You made an easy one; you gave up"  
Asriel took some measure of pride in Parides' stunned look. No doubt he wasn't used to anyone talking back to him, but he needed him mad. Time to twist the knife.

"And the way your beloved died... all because you once again took the easy way out. You couldn't master your fear, so you took the easy way of removing what scared you in the first place... you were a coward then and you're a coward now!"

The otherwise calm exterior of Parides finally cracked, and like larvae crawling from a cocoon it was like the king turned into an entirely new person. The magic arcing between his horns took on a red, angry hue. His lips curled back in an angry snarl and his sclera turned black with dark lines across his face. Even the room itself seemed to change in tune with Parides' rising anger. The air became heavy and gave Asriel a bad taste in his mouth. The lights dimmed yet the shadows cast around the room became longer and more pronounced, stretching towards Parides.

" **How... Dare... You...** " He hissed and raised a claw that looked to be made entirely of shadows towards the door " **Get...** **Out!** " he demanded strongly. Asriel would have been lying if he said he wasn't at least somewhat intimidated, but he had come too far to back down now. Instead, he spaced his feet and held his quarterstaff at the ready.

"What are you doing?" Parides' suddenly echoing voice posed. "Do you intend to fight me? Asriel, even with all the training and kung fu, or whatever the hell it is you practice with the captain, you realize you don't have a migosp's chance in hell against me, right?"  
"You have to be stopped, Parides. I won't hold back"

"Bah, it would seem madness have indeed afflicted our family dust. Very well..." The now deathly voice of Parides threatened. He rose from his throne and the shadows flocked towards him to crawl up his legs and envelop his body.  
"You have angered me greatly, descendant, but don't worry, we are still family after all so I won't kill you..." Just before the enveloping shadows covered his head completely, Asriel saw one last flash of a manic, almost evil grin on the King's face.  
"Of course, at the end of this... I might just make you wish I had..."

A quick flash of white light filled the room, briefly blinding Asriel. The somewhat spindly looking Parides had disappeared, replaced by a creature from his deepest fear. He was completely jet-back, with only white, merciless eyes and a row of fangs as well as a 2/3 soul on his chest to give any colorization. He was almost a full 3 stories tall, with paws bigger than his head, each digit ending in a serrated claw. His completely darkened figure made it impossible to point out any details.

But most terrible of all was the tug of fear Asriel felt in his soul. It was choking, consuming, and entirely unnatural. He felt his feet twitching backward, as if they were trying to run away on their own. He saw shadows leaking out of Parides, sailing along the floor like sharks before seeping into him. In his god-like state, his despair had become infectious!

Asriel shook it off as best he could. He thought of all the sacrifices that had been made to ensure he was brought back to life, much less be here. He thought of all the people he loved... and what would happen to them if he failed.

It settled as a burning core within him that refused to be snuffed out. Parides' fear was almost overwhelming but he knew he could hold true. He had to.

"Now, my plucky little descendant" The God of HyperDespair said, mouth dripping with black liquid. "Let me share with you a truth I have been privy to my whole life. That in this world, when you have nothing left, when you are unfettered by petty notions of love, greatness, and companionship and finally see clearly there is but one factor...

 **"… THERE IS NO HOPE!"**

* * *

 **Right, so here's the deal. We've finally reached the final confrontation between Asriel and Parides and it's gonna be a long one. Originally, I wanted to make it all one big chapter, but I've always been a putz at getting things done, so I've split it into 2 to avoid taking the better part of 2018 to get it out.**

 **The good news is that this means I'm already halfway done with the next chapter, so it really shouldn't take that long to get out... hopefully... definitely... yeah...**


	13. Dreams of Dragons part 2

**The final battle between The Thronetaker and The Dragon of Ebott is at hand! A Battle not just for the fate of Ebott... but also one that just might finally right an ancient tragedy.**

* * *

One of Parides' large paws slammed down towards him. Asriel quickly rolled to the side but came to an abrupt halt as dark tendrils shot out of the floor to ensnare his legs. He imbued his staff with fire and swiped it out to cut them away, just in time to evade another of Parides' paws.

" **Ah, I can see the fires of hope burning within you, descendant. I shall enjoy extinguishing it!** "  
Parides roared. He raised his paws up, shards of what looked like dark, jagged glass manifested above and aimed towards Asriel. He raised his staff and a fireball shot out of the end. He spread his arms wide and the fireball expanded in response. Of course, it was like a matchstick against a tsunami of dark waves but his aim was not to hurt but to distract. Parides gasped in surprise as the fireball pummeled his chin from below and he lost control over the malignant shards. They darted down towards Asriel in a chaotic, uncoordinated mess and he easily dodged or deflected most of them.

Bust just as he was about to evade the last one Parides recovered. With an exertion of his will, the last shard suddenly took a massive increase in speed and precision. Asriel sidestepped as fast as he could but to no avail. The shard cut a gash in his side but there was no pain from it. Instead, it was a short obliteration of his sense. In the blink of an eye, the flight-or-fight response inherent in all creatures was cranked fully to 'flight', and every pore of his body was filled with a panicked need to survive. When he came to, Asriel found himself facing the door as if he was about to run away. The next thing he felt was something slamming hard into from behind.

He sailed through the air, crashing into a wall hard enough to leave an imprint and to cause a small cloud of dust to waft off him. All he was was one big, throbbing wound gasping for breath. Somewhere above him, he heard Parides groan in dismay.  
" **Bah! I can't see your pain from all the way up here. I'll have to come down, make it a bit more up-close and personal** "

Asriel had the vaguest sight of Parides shrinking in size but not in power. He confidently strode over to him, still as a shadow and with only his eyes and fangs flashing a cold white. He cocked his head to the side and gave a small chuckle.  
" **Come now, descendant. There are some that call you a 'Warrior Prince' yet one small tap on the shoulder and you're all done? Pfft...** " He scoffed.

Asriel righted himself and hefted his quarterstaff. His ancestor was practically a being of pure fear and despair at this point, how much more convincing did 'they' need?

Parides gestured from him to attack. He darted forward, firing another fireball as he ran to momentarily blind his ancestor from his first attack; a fast stab with the staff right to the chest. Parides casually slapped it aside. Undeterred, Asriel attempted a leg-sweep but here his opponent didn't have to do anything and Asriel winced as leg struck home; it was like kicking a metal lamppost.

He backed off a little, swinging his staff to deter any attempt to follow him. Before he had even begun Parides lazily reached a paw out and pinched, catching his staff cleanly between two claws before letting it go with a confident grin.

" **I never was much of a brawler - those of noble dust shouldn't have to dirty their paws, as my mother used to say, but I can see the appeal** "  
He looked down at one of his paws, opening and clenching it " **And with the human souls I don't even have to work for it. Almost sad, isn't it? All that time you've spent training with the captain when the power of a few souls can blow you out of the water. Heh, almost enough to make me feel a little bad... almost...** " Parides grinned.

Asriel surged forward again. He knew it was foolish. Parides was half-right - when he had held Frisk's soul after they had shattered The Barrier he had found his strength, speed and magic magnified greatly and his sense and reflexes honed to a super-monster level. But after training with Undyne he had learned something important; Power wasn't the only important factor. Skill and discipline were important too and now he saw that same lesson clear on Parides: The look of overconfidence.

He launched into a kick to his side. As expected Parides simply slapped it away. Using the momentum Asriel spun into a roundhouse kick to the head. Parides yawned in response and raised his little-finger to block it. Just before they were about to connect Asriel whipped and curved his leg, turning it into a question mark kick that went straight over Parides' paw. There was a slight look of surprise in his eyes before his head was harshly turned aside. It had been a devastating kick, powerful enough to have awakened an adult Knight-Knight and send him right back to sleep. But Parides' only lightly stumbled with the look of someone who had just been told a grave insult.

" **Alright, that's it, my** **tur-** " was all he managed before he took a step forward, squarely unto a rune-trap Asriel had placed after he had been down from flying into the wall. A great geyser of flame erupted from the floor, completely enveloping him. When he staggered out he was still looking completely unhurt, but there was a newfound malice about him.

" **You... are really making me reconsider not killing you...** " he hissed. As he did his horns seemed to grow longer and more wild, looking more like thorny branches. The light in the hall dimmed and Asriel felt the temperatures drop by a few degrees.

Parides was getting angrier, which was exactly what he wanted.

The Shadowy king crouched over a bit and his claws grew longer, just barely scraping the floor. Somehow appearing even more terrifying than before. Gritting through the fear Asriel struck first, lancing his staff out in a strike to the head. Parides easily bashed it aside and stomped forwards at him. Asriel barely managed to keep out of range, using the staff to attack while managing to keep out of reach himself. Of course, this was a delaying action at best.

Parides opened his paw at him and before he as much had a chance to blink a beam of Dark Magic shot out, smashing into his chest and sending him flying. As before, there was no physical pain, only the brief subversion of anything that might be called courage inside him into cold dread. Something that quickly turned into red-hot agony as he crashed into a cluster of wooden furniture. He staggered to his feet amidst what sounded like Parides sniffing the air.

" **What's that? Are you in pain? Pah, you know nothing of pain** " He rumbled as he drew close " **I know your story, how you lost your soul and all the misery you caused as a pathetic little herb. Your need for atonement drives you. I can relate... but yours is a sham!** "  
Asriel kicked a chair at Parides and followed after with a lunge with his quarterstaff, hoping the chair would distract him long enough to hit home. The king threw the chair aside with but a thought and caught the end of his staff easily. He brutally yanked it close and shot an open paw into Asriel's chest, causing him to fly back once again.

" **You have never known true agony. Even when you lost your soul, you still had the ability to SAVE and LOAD. The whole Underground was your amusement park, and, hah! You really didn't hold back, did you? But even then, death and fate itself were bent so that you could come back. I wonder, barring the loss of your foolish sibling Chara, have you ever known true despair? I have... and I envy how easy you've had it!** "

"And what do you do with it?" Asriel retorted, trying his best to not sound as pained as he felt.  
" **Hm?** "  
"With all the misery you've endured shouldn't you strive to ensure no one else has to go through that? But ask anyone and they will say you're nothing but a deluded tyrant! I have, at least, tried to make up for my mistakes, can you say the same as you stand there, swollen with the abused power of the souls you have stolen!?" He spat and geared himself up for one more blow... that might just seal his death.  
"I didn't know your beloved, but I'm sure if she saw you now she would be **ashamed** of you!" he snarled at the black-spectered Parides.

There was an angry tic in the King's eye, the only warning before a bolt of reddish, smoking electricity shot from his horns and zapped Asriel. His body went rigid, his nerves on fire and a silent gasp stuck in his throat, unable to move.  
" **You... are playing with fire, little Asriel** " Parides said. As he inched closer, angry, red cracks and lines started to appear on his body. Burning with bitterness and hatred, but not all of it aimed at him, Asriel sensed - much of it was aimed inwards.  
" **Though, perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised at your defiance. Looking at your soul I can't tell whether I'm looking at a prince of our line or one of our old Royal Knights. Perhaps it's true what they say. Perhaps you do have the soul of a dragon. Well, not literally... but close. Or perhaps little Frisk has rubbed off on you in more ways than one** "  
He leaned forward, his muzzle a mere few centimeters from Asriel's. A cruel smirk formed.

" **But willful as you are I know I can break you. You are strong but not invincible** " He glanced aside, caught by a sudden musing. **"Frisk, on the other paw...** "  
Despite the magic holding him still, Asriel's eyes flashed with sudden anger and his muzzle curled back in a snarl.  
" **I'm not arrogant enough to think I can make her submit, no one can truly conquer her soul through force. But I can imagine she will be none too pleased once she finds out what I'm going to do to you. I might have to 'expel' her from the family** "  
"Parides... you..." Asriel managed to hiss through the spell holding him fast.  
" **Hahaha! Who knows, maybe it would be right up her alley! Little Frisk, always so set on making others happy, I bet she can make a spirit most pleased once it drains her of her Determination!** "  
"Don't... you... dare... TOUCH HER!" Asriel roared. For a brief moment, the fire within burned through the spell. His arm came free, ablaze with magical flames and soared in a punch powerful enough to cause a small explosion as it cracked into Parides' jaw.

He actually stumbled backward this time... but not much more.

Nursing the impact, Parides' fixed him with a hateful look " **Alright, time to end this. Let me share with you what I have suffered the past centuries** "

He raised a dark claw to Asriel's chest. It was a touch that went far, far deeper than just physical. It was a touch, an attack on everything he was. The image of an inky blackness being introduced to a clean body of water entered his mind. Like that, a seeping corruption flowed from Parides' claw into Asriel's soul At once, everything that might have been pure and noble within him began to shrivel and a darkness blossomed in his chest. Every ill-deed and sin he had committed out of weakness of otherwise grew like a rampant cancer within him. He could even sense Flowey recoil and squeal disgust inside him at the contagion now flowing through him.

It was a despoiling force and the fear Asriel had felt at first changed, not at what was happening to him but rather what would happen. His courage gave way, tainted by the corruption. He thought of how foolish he had been to try and oppose Parides in the first place. He needed to get out here, to hide and screw everyone else. Let them fend for themselves, he was royalty, he was too important to die here, any excuse to let him get away. He would gladly give anyone up, his friends, his mom even Frisk if just he would just survive this.

Just as the corruption was a spiritual force, so did it also cause physical changes. Small cracks began to appear in Asriel's ivory horns and they took on a dirty, matted appearance. His bright green eyes took on a sickly yellow hue and his snow-white fur grew thin, wasted and dull. Even his robes, so lovingly crafted, were affected, becoming dirty, grimy and torn in places.

Parides grinned cruelly at his work. He had learned quite a while ago that some part of the Void had remained with him. A type of magic that converted any kind of virtue into darkness, and now that was at work within Asriel. They called him 'The Dragon of Ebott' but after this, he would more like 'The Rat of Ebott'. In this way, he would bash two temmies with one swipe, he would deal with this irritant once and for all, and when the rest of monsterkind learned how their once brave and noble hero had been turned into a craven would they understand the power they were up against.

Never again would the name 'Dreemurr' be disrespected.

The grim satisfaction he took in robbing Asriel of everything that made him 'him' was a bonus. Even lesser royalty must show deference to their king, and Asriel using his beloved against him was a serious crime. What would he know of Alarielle anyway, or how she would think of him? If she were to walk in now and see what he was doing... see how he was corrupting someone inside and out...

Woah...

He pulled his claw back. Asriel collapsed to the floor, wheezing and heaving. Cut off from its source the corruption within him started to fade and die and his features began returning to normal, but it had been a close thing. A few more seconds and he would have been an entirely different person.

Parides stared down at his dark paws in a dazed state of disbelief. What had just happened? He could barely remember the moments before he had begun turning Asriel. It was like someone else had taken control. Long ago, in his first life, he had read the theories of how human souls could empower a monster dramatically, but also how excessive use of said power could twist even the best of monsters. He also remembered a simple, human saying that often went along with that theory.

'Power corrupts'.

Something like regret and doubt began to grow within him. Was he really doing the right thing? He would figure so, but perhaps this was becoming too much...  
He squashed the felling with an angry stomp. No. He had come too far to falter now. If he began to truly doubt, despair would not be far off. If that happened all would be lost. This had to end now.

With a snarl, he launched at Asriel in a flurry of slashes and cuts. Asriel barely managed to pull himself to his legs to dodge behind a pillar, staring for a moment in shock as Parides' claws cut the 1-meter thick marble column in two. He raised his staff to block another cut but the claws sunk deep into the enchanted wood and with a quick pull Parides' yanked the weapon out of his paws. He stumbled forward, straight into a shadowy palm, and with a roar of anger Parides' raised him high and choke-slammed him into the floor hard enough to form cracks.

Asriel did his best to fight through the pain, tearing with his own claws at the dark paw that held him down, but it was like rusty picks against hardened ice.  
" **There we go..." Parides** ' said tiredly. " **Last chance, Asriel. Swear fealty and loyalty to me and I promise you and your friends will be safe within Ebott** "  
"Never... to you" Asriel gasped through gritted fangs.  
" **Oh, for pity's sake, Asriel! What do you hope to accomplish with this defiance!? You know you can't hope to** **best me! Just accept your defeat and my right to rule! Do you truly want me to end you so desperately!?** "  
"You don't deserve to rule. Monsterkind doesn't need you, nor anyone else to tell us how to live. I fight for the right to choose our own fate. And if I die, I'll die knowing that I did everything I could to stop you. And I'll die free of doubt" Asriel managed, just barely staying conscious through an effort of will. The beating he had taken was extreme and small specks of dust were coming off him.

This really was his Last Chance.

" **Then you leave me no choice** " Parides sighed and raised his dark claw. " **Consider this a mercy. This way I won't have to kill you, but you will never again have the guts to defy me** "  
Fear entered into Asriel's eyes as the claw dipped down on him.

This was it. His last try.

"Is this really what you want to use this power for?" he asked.  
" **What?** "  
"Is this what he promised you? Is this what you gave everything for?"  
Parides glanced around in quiet confusion.  
"You don't have to do this! You don't have to let him use you like this!"  
" **Asriel, what are you-** "  
"You are still your own! Please, don't let him to this! To you, to me... to us!"  
" **Oh bother, you have gone mad. I'll be quick then** "  
"ONLY YOU CAN STOP HIM! DON'T LET HIM WIN!"  
" **Hush now, it will all be over so-** "

A bright, blue light suddenly flared from Parides' chest. He stumbled back in shock and looked down at himself.  
" **Wha- what is happening!? What is this, what did you do!?** "  
Another light came to life, this one red. Then a green one, then a yellow until all of six colors glowed brightly from within him.  
"I wasn't talking to you..." Asriel said as he stood back up. Parides could only answer with a look of utter, panicked confusion.

A heart-shaped blue soul suddenly flew from the King's chest, closely followed by the others.  
" **The Human Souls!? What are they doing!?** " Parides gasped.  
"One thing you might now know, Parides, is that this isn't the first time I've been in a fight like this. The first time around I learned a valuable lesson... that we can never, truly command the hearts and souls of others. You promised them you would use the power from their souls solely to save their families and monsterkind... but you did a little bit more than that"  
" **Wh-what!?** "  
"I merely reminded them that they still had a will of their own and that they didn't have to stand for your abuse of their gift" He lowered his head and allowed a small grin of satisfaction "So say goodbye to all your powers... God of HyperDespair"

The souls circled around the dark form of Parides, wisps, and rays of energies flowing from him to them. He shrunk in size and clawed and swiped at the souls but to no avail.  
An ethereal " **NOOOOO!** " boomed from him, then suddenly drowned out by an explosion of white light.

* * *

As the mirage faded, it became apparent that the horrific, darkened creature Parides had transformed into was gone. Instead, the Thronetaker, smaller and timider than ever sat on the floor, staring at his paws in disbelief.  
Asriel allowed himself a sigh of relief – the overwhelming sense of magical power that had suffused the room was gone.

It was over. The Thronetaker had been defeated.

Parides' head suddenly snapped to attention. His lips curled back in a snarl and his paws formed into angry, shaking fists. For a moment, Asriel was sure he was about to pounce on him.  
But then, he relented. With a defeated groan the Thronetaker almost seemed to deflate and his face fell to the floor. Up on the throne, the golden rod fizzed out and died, cut off from its magical source and the rumbling in the ground ceased.  
"Proud of yourself, Asriel? Thanks to you our last chance to save monsterkind has just gone down the toilet, all because you, what, didn't like me?"  
Asriel calmly shook his head "I've done no such thing. I merely stopped you from making us turn our back to the wider world when they need our help"

Parides looked set to argue, but instead, a bitter smirk formed "Heh, even now I can't help but admire your conviction... still think you're a naive fool, but whether you're right or wrong I don't suppose I can do anything to oppose you. Hope must be a wonderful thing" he sighed. "Should have figured something like this would happen. Even with the human souls I still can't do anything right. Mom always said I was the most pathetic excuse for a Dreemurr in history - the runt of the litter. Wherever she is now I bet her dust would whirl in joyous vindication if she saw me now"

He looked back up at Asriel with an almost apologetic look. "You might hate me for my methods, Asriel, but, for what it's worth, I truly did want to save monsterkind. When first I met you and Frisk I thought you were too weak to do it yourselves. And now here you stand, having faced down a god and won... shows what I know, people like me shouldn't have that kind of power. I... I don't know what happened to me, Asriel, I-"  
"I understand" Asriel cut him off "I've been in your position before. Power like that changes you. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best"  
Parides nodded, seeming, at least, somewhat comforted at the reassurance "Think I can guess what that makes me, then" he mumbled off-handedly before looking back up "And just to make one pitiful attempt to salvage some measure of my pride, I..." he trailed off. His paws clenched at his side as if he was straining to say his next words "I... truly do envy you. Not just because you were saved, but also... you have a family who loves you, friends, who would follow you anywhere. The Captain once told me how you used to worry and fret over whether you could live up to the expectations people had for you... I think it's safe to say you've gone above and beyond"

Asriel's face fell in quiet contemplation "I don't think we're that different, you and I" he said.  
"Huh?"  
"You're right. It was... a miracle that someone like Frisk came along to save me at all. If the same had happened to you and you hadn't been left alone for so long, well... who knows?"  
The Thronetaker glanced aside, lips pursed in thought and perhaps even quiet, satisfying agreement.

A flash of horror went over him and he looked back down at his paws. Even from a distance, Asriel could see how the Thronetaker was slowly becoming more ghostly and transparent.  
"Right... misery loves company" he stated bitterly "Without a soul of my own I can't keep maintaining this form. I'll go back to being just another angsty, soulless mess. I've never been able to feel hope and soon I won't feel anything else once again. My eternal punishment awaits" he said as if had been a long foregone conclusion.

Asriel was about to respond when a twitch in his ear made him look over his shoulder, finding a sight that just might still promise a happy ending.  
"Well, I'll get out of your fur, then" Parides said and climbed to his feet, already sounding completely empty. "Wouldn't want to make an even bigger mess than what I've already-"  
"Dessie? Is it... is it really you, Dessie?" a voice so soft Asriel almost imagined he could rest his head on it and sleep called out

A transparent figure, lead by hand by Frisk, clad in a long wedding dress embossed with figures of monsters and humans hand-in-hand. She had a laurel wreath on her head with red and green flowers and golden hair that ran almost all the way to her feet. She had a gentle beauty about her that Asriel couldn't help but choke a small gasp at. Even by her mere presence alone, he could feel the fatigue and strain of the battle ebb away.

Parides, on the other hand, was as still, quiet and pale as a ghost and looked as if he had just seen a non-blook one to boot. Disbelief was written all over him, mouth agape and eyes flashing with ancient memories of far, far better times.  
"Wha...wha... how?" he muttered in shock.  
"It's like you said when we first met" Frisk cut in.  
"Huh?"  
"There's not much difference between living and dead these days, but why should that only be true for bad people?"

The ghostly young woman walked towards Parides, opening her arms and with a knowing smile on her face "My poor Dessie. Frisk told me everything... it breaks my heart to know how much you have endured... can you.. can you ever forgive me?"  
"WHO-WHA- FORGIVE YOU!?" Parides shouted and stumbled back in shock. "Bu-but I killed you! You were the best person I have ever known a-a-and I killed you!"  
"You didn't mean to, and whatever pain you may have caused me I know you have suffered far more" Her face fell and her voice dropped to a quiet, somber tone "When you fell to your despair I thought I could get through to you, make you calm down when all you really needed was time to yourself. It was my foolishness that got us both killed, Dessie. You didn't know what you were doing, you can't blame yourself"

"OF COURSE I CAN!" Parides snarled and stomped down "It's what I've done ever since I failed you! Everything I have done to save monsterkind I did for you! All the hundreds of years I spent alone in the Void the possibility that I might make your dream for me come true was the **ONLY** thing that kept me sane and going! Even if you did forgive me there was no way in hell I was ever going to forgive myself... but forgive you? I... I never thought..."

Asriel felt a flicker of doubt. He had hoped reuniting Parides with his long-lost love, the one he sought to atone for, would make him calm down, but it was like the opposite was happening. He had rarely seen anyone look so absolutely distressed and... lost. Tears were running freely down Parides' face, his teeth bared in anger and outrage but eyes brimming with a need for atonement. He staggered back and forth as if a battle was constantly raging on inside him about whether he should go and embrace his beloved... or run away.

"Perhaps we should have seen this coming - it was too simple to work" Frisk muttered at his side.  
"Hm?"  
"Look at him" she said and gestured to Parides "He so deeply, desperately wants to be forgiven. All he has done was work towards that goal. Now that he is forgiven, his whole world is coming down around him because there's still one thing missing"  
Asriel nodded, understanding what she meant.  
"He still needs to forgive himself, but without hope how can he ever do that? He must have known from the start. He must have convinced himself that he would never truly achieve redemption, that he was lost beyond hope. The best he could do was to make Allariele's dream come true"  
"... I was like that too, once" Asriel said quietly "I... pretty much didn't want to be forgiven, didn't feel like I could ever earn it. Sometimes the tunnel is so long and dark you don't want to go down it anymore and you become blind to the light at the end of it"  
"Then let's show him the light" Frisk declared and marched up beside Alarielle.

She allowed herself a quick look-over of Parides. He was the complete picture of someone on the breaking point. They had to bring him over quickly, all he needed was to take the final step, but if they didn't hurry he would soon return to being an emotionless spirit, forever lost.

But Frisk was not in the habit of letting people go unsaved.

"Hope is the beginning of all good things" she began "It is what we build our hopes and dreams on. That tiny spark that can go on to become an inferno that warms the hearts and souls of those we cherish"  
Asriel stepped up on the other side of Alarielle.  
"Hope is also at the end of all good things" he said "When all seems lost, hope remains our port in the storm. As long as you have that you can never truly be defeated"  
"But you don't have to hope, my dearest Dessie" Alarielle picked up "I want happiness to be a certainty for you, not something you hope for... and I want you to want that as well. You don't have to be alone or doubt anymore"

Parides looked at Frisk, then at Asriel and finally at Alarielle. A few moments passed with him barely breathing.

Then, his face scrunched up. He fell to his knees with a wail, his forehead against the floor.  
"I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he cried.

Alarielle knelled down to him. Gently running her hand over his back. "I know, and so am I... but it's time to let go of what makes you sorry, Dessie. Let go of your LOVE, It's the only way you can ever be free"  
He wiped his muzzle with the sleeves of his arm and looked up, finding an offered hand.

When he didn't take it immediately, Asriel briefly feared he would reject. The possibility of it settled like a nightmare in his mind, one where he had to live with the fact that one of his kind, even a misguided one, had to suffer for all eternity for something he had no control, all because he failed him in this pivotal moment. Some part of him even understood. Wallow long enough in the thought that you're not worth saving and eventually you come to believe it, seeing any attempt at doing so as a waste of better people's time and effort. He had been there once.

The moment stretched out. Even Alarielle seemed on the verge of begging him to once and for all let go of the past. Then, a quiet laugh rumbled from Parides.  
"I really don't deserve you" he whispered.  
"I'll be the judge of that, and I judge you more than worthy" she answered.  
"... you really do, don't you..." he replied back with a voice full of relief. The sound of someone taking off a heavy burden after a long, long walk.

He reached up and took her hand. Almost immediately a sudden change came over him. Some of the shadows that had covered him during the fight still clung to him like scraps of cloth. One by one they began falling off as they rose to their feet, with Parides standing taller and prouder than neither Asriel nor Frisk could remember him doing, even when he had had the human souls. His transparency subsided, to the point that he was almost shining. Even they couldn't help but feel invigorated by the sense of awe and grace.

"I've missed this... stars, I've missed this" Parides whispered as the two finally embraced and he buried his muzzle in her shoulder.  
"Me too, my love"  
"I can't even remember the last time I've felt like this..."  
"I can"  
"Heh... come to think of it, I do as well"

Asriel felt a smaller hand envelop his and returned the gesture without looking. He pulled Frisk closer, both of them enjoying the sight of an ancient wrong finally put right.

"Are you ready to go, my love?" Alarielle whispered to her beloved.  
"Not quite" he answered and gently pushed himself away "Still have to say my goodbyes"  
He walked over to Frisk and Asriel. Despite the moment, Asriel felt a shiver of apprehension run down his back, well remembering the fight before.

"Asriel... Frisk..." Parides sounded off, a hint of his usual aristocratic and composed tone of voice back "I... don't even know how to begin to thank you, so I won't even try" he shuffled a bit uncomfortably on his feet, and yet there was an obvious joy and happiness to him now that they had never seen before. His body language all spoke of one finally at peace "Allow me instead to apologize. I stole your throne, tried to tear down all you had built, even sent your friends into terrible danger. At the time, I... truly did believe I was doing what was best for monsterkind but in hindsight I realize now I just made everything worse... golly, not many people gets to have a second chance at life like we did, Asriel, but you made yours count at least"  
"As I said, I was very lucky" Asriel replied but Parides immediately shook his head.

"No. Don't you ever dare call all your accomplishments, friends and family 'luck'. You've earned it all, Asriel... and may I add... you really are one hunk of a monster. Don't be ashamed of that one magazine"  
"Uhh, what?"  
"I know, right!" Frisk eagerly added.  
"Ah! Which reminds me – I think this belongs to you" Parides reached up, carefully lifted The Crown off his head and offered it to Asriel, who, still flustered, rather brusquely took it.

"Never could get the damn thing to fit, but I'm sure you can fill it out far better than I ever could" Parides finished with a short chuckle before his smile faded a bit and he folded his paws behind his back "One last thing; about your sibling, Chara"  
Asriel and Frisk instantly froze to attention at the mere name.  
"I know you might think ill of them, considering they may very well have doomed the world and all, and there's every chance you'd be right in doing so, but... during my time in the Void, I usually tried to keep my distance from them. They were... a force of nature, a Determination beyond comprehension only equaled by one thing... love"  
Asriel let out a pent-up breath, remembering how The Prophet had said something similar a year ago.  
"I can only imagine you're going to have to confront your wayward sibling sooner or later. I can't know for certain, but I honestly don't think your Chara is truly evil or beyond saving. And if you could save me, then... who knows?"  
Asriel gave a somber nod. As grand as this victory was, the war wasn't over just yet. Chara was still out there.

"I wish there was more I could do, but... I think my time is up" Parides finished and gave a deep, grateful bow before returning to Alarielle.  
"Be at peace" Frisk said to them both.  
"And you as well" Parides replied "And I hope to see you around. Don't give up hope, alright? If anyone can do this it's you two"  
"We'll do our best, to the very end" Asriel nodded his thanks.

The two long-lost lovers embraced once again. As they did a bright, soothing light emanated from Alarielle, while dust began falling from Parides in droves. The light obscured all vision but without blinding and as it faded the two lovers were gone, briefly replaced by the voice of two halves of a soul finally reunited again... forever.

"Frisk... Asriel...

Thank you..."

"Now... there's story to tell our grandkids, don't you think?" Frisk quipped.  
"Definitely, I'm still amazed we were able to pull it off. So much could have gone wrong"  
"Well, can't spell 'Frisk' without 'risk'"

Ariel gave a small laugh before a glow above him made him look up. The human souls. Still here. Gently spinning around.  
"Are you... the one who called to us?" one of them asked.  
"Y-yes, I did. Thank you for listening... really" Asriel answered  
"No, it's us who must thank you!" Another said.  
"Yeah, if it wasn't for you I don't think we would ever have realized we could fight back against Parides' abuse" a third one declared.  
"That guy was a real jerk... but, man, was he also damaged"  
"Yup, I was honestly too afraid to look deeper into him. He had so much bitterness"

"You don't have to worry about any of that now" Frisk cut in "but, if I may, we have a huuuuuuge favor to ask you"  
"We gave our lives on the promise our souls would be used to protect our families and monsterkind. We can't pass on until we have done that" one of the souls explained.  
"Then we can help each other" Asriel said with eagerness "My dad is stuck in the Void, but with your help, we can bring him back"

"The great Asgore!" One of the souls squealed.  
"I've always wanted to meet him! He looks so huggable!"  
"We'd be more than happy to help you with this!"  
"Then follow me!" Frisk said and ran for the door with the souls closely behind her.

Asriel made to follow but stopped as he reached the door, casting a look over his shoulder and back into the throne room. The floor was cratered and scratched in places, much of the furniture broken and several marble pillars were shattered. But at the center of it all the throne of Ebott still stood. Unbroken.  
Just like them.

"Farewell, Parides. You never knew hope but never gave up... I do hope to see you again one day" Asriel said and closed the doors behind him.

* * *

 **And with that, the Thronetaker arc is over. Coming up will be the preparation for the confrontation with Chara, so we've still a ways to go!**

 **Good day!**


	14. Callbacks

**I know it's been more than a month :S, don't really have any better excuse than 'I've been busy, exams and stuff'**

 **But! We're not quite done yet here. One danger to Ebott may have been defeated, but there are more enemies abound. Even a few we might have seen before...**

* * *

The day had already been long and arduous to the extreme. Parides had been saved, his plan of sacrificing the rest of the world stopped and the throne and crown of Ebott reclaimed.

But there was still one last task to do before anyone could call it a day. One last soul to save.

Weird runes had been dubbed with charcoal on the floor of Alphy's and Undyne's basement, strange shapes that hurt the eye and seem to shimmer and change when not looked at. They were all here; Frisk, Asriel, Toriel, Alphys, and Undyne, with the little lizard monster rummaging through the Necromonsterkon. Above them all, like the guardian angels they might as well be, a group of 6 human souls hovered and swirled, ready to lend their aid. Beneath them was the largest rune of them all, encircling a piece of cloth upon which laid a pile of glittering monster dust. All that remained of the former King of Monsters, Asgore.

Asriel felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach thinking about the fate that had befallen his dad. No one had suffered as much as him and the knowledge that he couldn't even rest in peace was too much. An error they were about to rectify.  
"Are we ready?" he asked out loud to no one in particular.  
"J-just about" Alphys replied "Just making sure I got this right. I reeeeallly don't want to bungle this up"  
"This still sits ill with me" Toriel muttered, gently raising a paw to silence Frisk as she was about to protest. "I know what you want to say, my child, and I understand. I just fear... that it won't be my Gorey that comes back"  
"Dad's too tough to let some whimsical old magic get the better of him. He'll be alright" Frisk reassured with a squeeze on Toriel's paw.  
"I pray you are right..."

"We're about to find out" Alphys declared and raised her head from the book to address the group "I've studied this book for longer than what can be considered healthy. I... I think I can do it. I think I can bring Asgore back"  
"You'd better..." Undyne quietly growled.  
"Y-yeah, so, eh... Let's get to it" She moved before the large rune, with the Nercromonsterkon hovering in front of her. Above, the human souls swirled faster and a multicolored light began to fill the room.

"Up is down and black is white, from a realm dark as night, do we call a heinous wight" Alphys chanted, somehow sounding eery despite her nasal, geeky tone of voice. The runes began glowing balefully and a cold, dead wind started blowing from the runes, rising in intensity as the lizard continued the incantation. Asriel felt a greasy hint in the air, his clothes stuck uncomfortably to his fur and judging by the nervous shuffling of those around him it appeared he wasn't the only one noticing the malignant atmosphere.

"A realm of evil, a realm of EXP, that no just soul would ever, ever see, do we by malevolent decree, cast our eyes over a bottomless curse, a bottomless sea, corrupting of all there is and can be" Alphys continued "Let the soul we call be cold and cruel, let their virtues be as steadfast as gruel" Over in the corner Undyne hawked and spat a viscous, sickly yellow globule that seemed to writhe with a life of it's own. The air grew hard to breathe and Asriel suddenly felt like they were all in mortal danger. Cold sweat was dropping from Alphys' brow and she nervously looked from the book and to the group, silently begging any of them to ask her to stop. When it became clear not even Toriel would speak up, she fearfully returned to the tome.

"Wi-with spite and gall, with darkest deceit, do we pierce the spiritual wall. Twisted tongues drip toxic words, that seep into the endless hall. We bid thee, Asgore Dreemurr, heed our call!" Alphys finished before immediately backing away from the rune with a scared yelp. The wind was downright tempestuous now and more than cold air was emerging. Dark, snake-like tendrils rose, colliding and curling around each other like serpentine lovers caught in a storm. They combined into a solid shape that increased in size, featureless at first, but soon what looked liked feet, arms and most reassuringly, horns started to appear.  
The wind abated and the black mass stirred. Colors started to spread, with hints of a red cape and a golden mane. Above it all the human souls ceased their infusion, their work apparently finished.

For a few dreadful moments Asriel had his paw lit with magical fire in case something other than his dad had come through, but it quickly faded as it became apparent there was no need.

It was his dad, The King Under the Mountain, The Great Asgore Dreemurr, still looking almost exactly as he had when he had died. The cape, the armor, the Delta Rune... but his eyes were different. His sclera was black and dark lines ran down the sides of his head, just like The Absolute God of Hyperdeath.  
"What... what fresh torment is this? Visions of my nearest and dearest that I will never see again? Golly, is there no end..." Asgore droned tiredly.  
The sight of it all stunned Asriel. Parides had told him about the torture of residing in the Void, and his mom had warned them all about the danger of such dark magics, but it was nevertheless a horrifying thing to witness.

"It's not a vision, dad. You're home" a soothing voice calmed, Frisk, having walked up to and hugged the returned king. Asgore barely responded, besides with a dismissive grunt. Toriel was next to step in, taking one of his large paws into her own "Gorey? It's true. You're back... please, don't ignore us"  
Her voice seemed to trigger something within the old king and his eyes moved once again to regard everyone in the room, first with curiosity, then a brief flash of realization. Then he let a breath out it seemed like he had been holding for ages and collapsed, weeping for all the time lost and torment he had endured.

Asriel moved over to hug him as best as he could, together with his mom and Frisk. It seemed like a cruel joke that this was the closest his family had physically been for a long time. But they were together at last, with new scars to bear and more baggage to carry, but at least, finally, reunited.

* * *

In the week after Parides' defeat and Asgore's return not much happened in Ebott. News of the spreading Void kept coming in and the end of days loomed closer and closer while they were still nowhere nearer to finding a way to stop it. But it was still a brief time of peace for monsters and with Frisk and Asriel reinstated as King and Queen spirits seemed higher than they had been for a long time.

At least, that was the impression Frisk got this morning, on her way to the refugee camp on ambassadorial duties. The sun was out and warm, she couldn't walk 2 steps without a friendly greeting from a passing monster and the air was filled with birdsong and the laughter of monster children playing.  
Of course, she of all people knew that for some this was a paper-thin disguise hiding the fear. After the ritual, Toriel had taken Asgore and, as she had said it "Put him on a strict diet of TLC". If not for her royal duties Frisk would have jumped in at the first chance to help with said programme... stars knew he needed it. It was terrifying to see her once so lively and cheery dad so... broken and different. They hadn't even announced his return to the public. If monsterkind knew what had become of their previous king... it just might do more harm than good.

Just a few days ago she had managed to sneak a peek through a crack in the door to the bedroom he had holed up in. Asgore had been sitting on his bed, looking down at his paw when suddenly, a Dark flame appeared in his paws to which he had sighed softly. Frisk understood enough about monster magic to know that it came from their souls and often changed according to their emotions. The fire-magic of the Dreemurrs had always been lively and vibrant, and the few times she had seen Asriel angry his magical flames had changed to reflect just that, becoming more reddish, wild and furious.

So what in the world did a Dark flame mean?

'Nothing good' Frisk surmised and made mental note to leave earlier today so she could visit him.  
"Heeey, Frisky, why so down ;)" A suave voice suddenly asked her "Not that I would know about being down. The only things I put down are the weights after my 5000 reps ;)"  
"Oh, hi Aaron" Frisk greeted with a smile as she looked up at the muscular monster "My, you look bigger than last time I saw you. Been hard at it?"  
"You got an eye for gains, Frisky. Almost a shame you're queen of Ebott again, cuz I got half a mind to invite to become queen of Flex-ington ;)" the monster said and went into a pose showing the goods. "Do my pecs intimidate you? Don't worry, they're safe to touch ;)"  
"I think I'll pass if it's alright with you"  
"Ah! Speaking of passing there are 2 humans looking for you, asked me to point you in their direction if I saw you ;)"  
"2 humans?" Frisk asked, cocking her head to the side "From the refugee camp?"  
"Nah, haven't seen them before, not around the gym in any case, though one of them was pretty big. Not as big as me, of course, but still, someone who'd probably know the difference between a dumbbell and a treadmill ;)"  
"... How do you use a treadmill?"  
"Handstand, baby ;)"  
"Oh, wow! That's impressive!" Frisk gushed.  
"I can show you if you want, Frisky ;)"  
"No, it's fine" Frisk managed with as much dignity as possible "but where did you say these 2 humans were?"  
"The alley down the street. Do you want me to come with you and keep you safe? ;)"  
"Thank you for the kind offer, but I think I'll be fine" Frisk said with a bow "Now, I'd better go see to this"  
"Hehe, alrighty, Frisky ;). Oh! Tell Asriel to give me a call – I saw his photoshoot, good form but he needs to work on his upper back!"  
"Will do!" Frisk called back with a laugh.

Frisk would be lying if she said she wouldn't appreciate Aaron coming along. Even in broad daylight alleys weren't the safest places to traverse through, but if someone needed her help having such an "impressive" monster as Aaron tagging along might give the wrong impressions.

As she entered in, Frisk caught sight one of the humans Aaron had probably mentioned. A tall man clad in an azure-blue silk shirt decked with tropical palm trees and sea waves complemented by black slacks. He had a rugged but not unhandsome face, someone that looked equally at home in a country club dinner and a pub brawl.

"Hello? Were you looking for me?" Frisk asked with a welcoming smile. The man answered by taking a step forward and giving a shake of the head. "Why am I not surprised. Frisk Dreemurr, the queen bee of her own little hive. Busy as can be yet when even a total stranger asks for your help you show up in a flash" his head dipped and a shadow came over his eyes "I can't decide whether your caring nature is idiotic or imbecilic, maybe both"  
"What do you- MMPHH!" Frisk managed before a pair of arms suddenly grabbed her from behind, one wrapping around her waist to pin her arms to her sides while another pressed a sweetly-smelling rag to her mouth.

She kicked out and fought as well as she could to get loose but whoever had grabbed her was stronger than her by miles. The edges of her vision darkened, drowsiness and weariness suffused her, but she refused to let it overwhelm her.  
She kicked out at a nearby trashcan, managing to tip it over with a loud crash. The man in front of her gave whoever was holding her a tired look.  
"L-Lee! She ain't stoppin'! Why ain't she fallin' asleep!?" a brutish voice whined.  
"Oh Sam... did you remember to put the chloroform on the rag this time?" The man in front of her, Lee, answered.  
"The bottle with them funny words that ain't make no sense? Yeah, I did!"  
"Then just hold it a bit longer. It's Frisk, figures she'd be a lot tougher than she looks"

It took almost a full 2 minutes for Frisk to finally succumb. Whenever the darkness had almost claimed her she fought it off with an effort of will. She fought, trashed and wrestled in the brute's grip but no matter what she couldn't break free.  
At last, she could fight no more. Filled with fear, terror and confusion Frisk drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

For Asriel, the time after Parides' defeat and his dad's return had been just as busy and tumultuous as Frisk. All the frivolous and luxurious additions to the castle Parides had made had to be dismantled, the grounds returned to their previous owners, all the inane laws he had enacted had to be withdrawn and all those injured in his personal fighting arena had to be granted compensation by the crown.

Even when the world was ending, the paperwork never seemed to end. But at least the monsters took it well enough.

Being creatures made mostly of love, hope and compassion crime was a relatively rare thing in Ebott. Minor crimes such as petty theft and vandalism were usually punished with communal service by the Royal Guard. The rare instances of major crimes, however, required the king and queen to render judgment. Fortunately, Asriel and Frisk hadn't been in such a situation yet but he vividly remembered a few rare times he had sat in attendance in a hearing, with his dad listening to the prosecution and the defense before giving his verdict.

Even in these times, crime was a rare occurrence in Ebott. Only very rarely were monsters ever sentenced to jailtime, the reasoning being that the transgressing monsters were just misguided, and needed a helping paw to get back on the path, not to be left alone in a cell.

And yet the cell house, attached to the headquarters of the Royal Guard, was far from empty. Several former guardsmen sat there, the remnants of Caderas's scheme a year ago and some of the oldest monsters alive. Daily, they would be visited by caretakers and soothsayers that would try to calm the hatred they still held in their souls but so far, only a few had been able to give up on their revenge and allowed a new life in a new Kingdom of Monsters

But as notorious as these prisoners were one name struck more fear into the hearts of monsters more than any other. One whose actions, well-intended as they might have been, had all but ruined 33 monster families. The only human ever to be incarcerated in Ebott and one whose name was used as a kind of bogeyman in goodnight stories told to monster children. But he also happened to be the one who knew most about the Void, and possibly how it could be stopped.

It was with that hope in mind Asriel come here. Time was running out for the world and despicable as the prisoner might be, they still had the same goals in mind.  
Asriel stopped up in front of his cell and read the plaque on the door.

 _Inmate: The Prophet (Real Name Unknown)_  
 _Description: Human, male. Approx 20-25 years of age. Red hair. Blue eyes. Height (1.80 m)_

 _Accused of: Conspiracy against the crown. Colluding with monster-human traffickers. 33 counts of kidnapping. 33 counts of bodily torture and disfigurement. 33 counts of soul-inflicted torture and disfigurement. Aiding and abetting of attempted regicide._

 _Verdict: Guilty on all counts._

 _Sentence: To be determined._

Asriel shook his head as he read. It was a strange feeling that a land as peaceful as Ebott held such "storied" character hidden in their shadows. The main instigator of all the troubles last year, this so-called "Prophet" had been quietly placed in an enchanted cell constructed by Alphys that subdued his strange powers, and then silently forgotten about. Both because no one, not even Asgore, was quite sure what to do with him. His crimes were too severe for any punishment they had and letting him go would be a gross insult to all the lives he had ruined. But as he knew more about the Void than anyone, he might just finally have a chance to at least begin to atone for what he had done.

And thus, The Prophet had been hidden away in the deepest cell in Ebott, almost entirely without a visit.

Until now.

"Owww, really? That guy? Last time we tangoed with him he practically mindraped us Azzy!" Flowey whined inside his head. Asriel winced at the horrible memory, but brushed it off and swiped the key to the cell door. Immediately the stale scent of recycled air wafted over him. The cell itself was a spacious 2-room arrangement, a sleeping room, and a living room.

In which the inmate now was laying down on a couch, perusing a magazine. Asriel felt a shiver of part fear, part anger swell as he saw The Prophets icy blue eyes turn on him as if they were nothing more than windows into an iceberg given life and wearing the skin of a human.

"Well now, as I live and breathe, if it isn't Prince Dreemurr himself" The Prophet said in a not-quite-but-almost mocking tone and sat up straight "Oh, my mistake, I heard you finally got that promotion to king. Guess all the hours you put in at the office being a "hero" finally paid off, huh?"  
"You know what happened" Asriel growled dryly and closed the door behind him.  
"Sorry about the mess, if I had known I'd be receiving such an esteemed guest as yourself I would have tidied up some more" The human said. True enough, the room was somewhat sprinkled with empty bags of potato chips, cartons of temmie flakes, bowls of nice cream and the like. But there was another thing Asriel noticed; the Prophet he remembered from a year ago was a frail, gangly and sickly-looking individual but now... he almost had a healthy glow to his skin and the tired bags under his eyes were all but gone.

"I don't mind" Asriel said.  
"Heh, you sure? I can imagine being born into royalty would have its perks, like being delivered straight into a gold-plated crib and have a diamond pacifier stuck in your mouth, not to mention the job security. This place must seem like a dump to you"  
Asriel sneered at the jabs. He had imagined the Prophet would be less than cooperative, but there was a downright frightening venom behind his words.  
"Prophet... I have come because we need your help" Asriel began.  
"Ohoh! Really? You need my help? This should be good" The human glowered and leaned back with an amused grin.  
"We do. While I can't ever condone what you did I understand you did want to save the world. Now I'm asking you to help me do that"  
"Against the Void?"  
"Yes. Is there any way we can stop it?"  
"Well, you wouldn't happen to have my Amalgam Alpha still lying about collecting dust somewhere, would you?"  
" **Not. That** " Asriel firmly said with a stomp.

The Amalgam Alpha had been the Prophet's endgame; groups of humans and monsters forcefully melded together, bodies and soul, into a twisted abomination that knew only agony. The power of the combined souls was strong enough that it would draw every spirit on the planet to it, but also strong enough that it could never be completely devoured.

This meant that those inside the Amalgam would be sentenced to a fate of being eaten, torn apart and rebuilt, over and over again. A fate worse than death, but it would leave the rest of the world safe from the spirits.

Ever since it's rescue the Amalgam had been placed in an enclosure outside of Ebott where Alphys had striven for many days and nights to somehow take the trapped monsters and humans apart without killing them. So far without luck.

"I really don't understand you" The Prophet sighed and shook his head "You have a tailor-made solution to your problem in your paws and you refuse to use it?"  
"You know why!" Asriel huffed angrily "Those people have suffered enough without us throwing them to the ice wolves! That is not a decision I'm going to make!"  
"Why? Because you're afraid your gutless queen Frisk or your parents would be disappointed in you, little baby Asriel?" The Prophet spat back.

Asriel crossed his arms and glowered down at the human "And what about you? Would be able to live happily, knowing so many people suffered endlessly just so you could be allowed to live without fear?"  
"If it knew everyone else on the planet would also be safe? Yes, in a heartbeat, even if I had to sacrifice millions. It's simple math, Asriel. Throw the lesser number onto the chopping block so the majority can keep living"  
Asriel felt his paws curl into fists and had to make a conscious effort not to make them burst into flames.  
Ahead of him the Prophet gave a sigh and looked away to the side "Look, I get it, it's a crap sandwich no matter how you chew it. It's not a happy story but when the stakes are this high you have to throw morals and ethics to the wind and just do what needs to be done, and damn the consequences"

It was a waste of time arguing like this, Asriel surmised. Perhaps he could try appealing to his potential better side.  
"... Do you regret anything, out of all of this?" Asriel asked in a low voice.  
"Only that it had to be done, not that I did it" the human replied just a slowly.  
"There has to be a better way than this, Prophet. I don't think you're a bad person. Wouldn't it be a whole lot better if we could save the world and be able to hold our heads high afterward? Maybe if you helped us find such a solution you could start to atone for what you've done? Wouldn't that be nice? Saving the world with no regrets at all?" Asriel proposed, stepping in front of the human and offering a paw with the friendliest smile he could manage.

The human looked straight at him, then at his paw, then back to him, first with befuddlement but then, suddenly, with thunder in his eyes.  
" **ATONE!?** " He shouted and sprang up from the couch violently enough to tip the table over, spilling a multitude of drinks and snacks on the floor.  
 **"I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING FORGIVENESS – I WANT YOU TO GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND SAVE THE WORLD, YOU BLOODY IDIOT!** "  
Asriel retreated back with a startled bleat. He was suddenly thankful for the cell robbing the human of his powers, otherwise, he imagined he would be a gibbering wreck on the floor by now.  
" **Do you think I made the Amalgam because I wanted to feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside at night!? What the hell do you take me for!? I did all that because none of you monsters had the gall to do it and now you dare act as if need or want to be forgiven!? Screw you!** " The Prophet hissed.

Asriel wasn't intimidated, but did mentally chide himself for the misstep. Apparently the human was so completely convinced he was in the right he couldn't be convinced conventionally. There had to be some other way...

A buzzing in his pocket told him his cellphone was going off. He fished it up, seeing the display listing the caller as "StrongFish". As good an excuse as any for a small break. Without a word he went over to the corner, catching the Prophet likewise turning away to fetch his asthma inhaler out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey Undyne. What's-"  
"Fufufufu! A voice giggled.  
"Huh? Undyne?"  
"What, didn't you hear me? I said we're in for ONE HELL OF A TIME!"  
"C-calm down Undyne, what's going on?"  
"Az, get your royal butt to the guard HQ on the double! That's an order! You need to see this!"  
"Oh, eh, alright, I-I'll be there as fast as I can" Asriel flustered. The call dropped almost before he had finished. He had to hurry with the Prophet now. If only there was something...

"Prophet... the last time we spoke you... I remember you hinted at having seen a timeline where we saved the world without the Amalgam?" Asriel posed.  
The human in question stood with his back to him and with arms crossed, but his head dipped as he thought back. "Mhmm, I also distinctively remember telling you it had a 1-in-a-100 chance of becoming a reality" he growled.  
"That hasn't stopped us before. Please, for the sake of everything, tell me more about it. If there is a better way I need to know"  
The Prophet sighed and his shoulders sagged but not in a way that indicated distress. Instead, he sounded almost happy.

"I'm afraid you're a bit too late for that" he said "My curse... it's gone"  
"What!?"  
"Ever since I was born I've been plagued by these visions of the world's end at this "Chara's" hands. Now that it has finally happened... it's gone, all of it. My nightmares, my curse even the stuff that was kinda useful. So, heh, you don't have to fear any more tricks from me. Y'know, these last few weeks are the first time I've actually had a good night's sleep!" The Prophet explained with almost manic glee.

Asriel found it hard feeling happy for the human, even more so with the trouble that he might not be able to read the timelines anymore.  
"B-but do you remember it, at least? Anything at all? What we need to do to make it happen?"  
"Ahh, not much" the human shrugged with far too much carelessness as he turned to face the monster.  
"All I remember is you, Frisk and Chara standing a room of absolute pitch darkness. I saw strings of new budding timelines flow from you and Chara, propagating and branching out ad infinitum. Each of you faced with some kind of choice, though I couldn't see what exactly the choice entails"  
"A choice..:" Asriel mumbled to himself. The last time he had made a choice regarding Chara it had been far, far the wrong one. He only wished time wouldn't repeat itself.

"It's not much to go on, but it's all I got" The Prophet shrugged "I dunno what you have to do to make it happen, but I can tell you that it would end this 'Void War' without having to use my Amalgam Alpha"  
"... It'll have to do" Asriel said and turned for the door. He had gotten what he wanted and it was best not to leave Undyne waiting. Still, he could practically feel the human's eye bore into his back at the surprise of his sudden departure and he stopped up in front of the door, glancing over his shoulder.  
"Prophet... if this ends up working out I'll see about getting you released, so you can at least begin to pay off your debt to monsterkind"  
"Pfft, blow off" the human hissed and slumped back into the couch, left only with the clang of his cell door shutting tight, the hum of a magical air recycler and his own private thoughts and doubts.

* * *

It wasn't a long walk from the cell house to the Royal Guard HQ, but Asriel knew better than to let the captain of the guard waiting. King he might be, but that didn't stop Undyne from warming his ears if she got mad at him, something, given the size of said ears, was an experience he was keen not to repeat.

He raced down the corridor to the briefing room, passing a multitude of guards that saluted as he sailed past. He reached the door, but just as he was about to grab the handle it swung up and an armored gauntlet reached out to grab him by the hem of his shirt and tossed him inside, coming to stop beneath a planning table with a surprised bleat.

"Whaddya doing down of the floor? Get up!" Undyne barked before rounding on a planning table with a magical map showing the city of Ebott as a mass of purple spires, buildings, and fields amidst a sea of green  
"S-sorry, Master Undyne" Asriel whined and got up "What's going on? Sounded important on the phone"  
"You betcha! It looks like our period of saving grace from the Void us up. Look here..." With a wave of her gauntlet, the magical map zoomed out and tilted downwards revealing a horrific sight... a cloud of gray moving closer and closer to the purple.  
"Oh no... they found us..."  
"Yup, from the looks of it we got about 2 days till we got these angry ol' farts wafting over Ebott. It'll make for one hell of a fight, lemme tell ya" Undyne surmised and turned to face Asriel. "Your orders?"  
"My wha-? Oh, well, we'll have to fight and stop them somehow!" Asriel blurted, immediately realizing how half-baked he sounded.  
"... Well, with sage planning like that I should just hand over my badge of office right now..." Undyne deadpanned, a sweatdrop falling from her head "Didn't your old man teach you anything about warfare?"  
"Not really..." Asriel answered timidly "A bit, perhaps, but that was all about underground fighting. Nothing... nothing quite like this"  
"Well, guess I can't blame him. In that case, I formally request to be put in command of Ebott's defense" Undyne barked, standing as rigid and straight-backed as a log and with a look that brooked no disagreement.  
"... You sound pretty excited about all of this, Undyne"  
"Of course! No one ever writes stories about peaceful times, and I'll be damned if I don't have a manga in my name before I croak!"

"I think I could easily do without..." Asriel breathed in response "But I'll have to be there...This is my city and my people. I might not know the first thing about warfare, but-"  
"Of course you are, I'd have dragged you from your throne and straight to the frontline if you hadn't" Undyne laughed, underlined by a clap to the shoulder that nearly knocked the king over. "Leave the planning to me, Azzy. All I need you to do is to look good and inspire the guardsmen... and if worse comes to worst..."  
"I got the best trainer in Ebott!" He exclaimed with pride.  
"Damn straight!" Undyne beamed with her toothy grin and reached out with a fist bump, swiftly returned by Asriel.

"Ehm, what about Frisk? Does she know about this?" Asriel asked.  
"I called her but she didn't pick it up" she shrugged "Probably busy recycling garbage down at the refugee camp. I wouldn't worry too much"  
"Right..." Asriel agreed with a confidence he didn't have. Frisk always took her phone.

But with or without her, the map showing the gray cloud of death homing in on Ebott was a stark reminder. As a prince and now, as a king, his duty had always been to fight for monsterkind.

Now, they would have to do just literally that.


	15. The King over the Mountain

**And we're back! This time we'll be taking a step back to focus on our favorite monster king and queen and how they're coping, post horrible-soul-mutilating-ritual.**

* * *

Despite not having been queen for many years now, Toriel was almost busier than she had ever been. Most of her days were spent as headmaster in the largest school in Ebott, and during her days off she would regularly receive visits from monsters in need of advice on matters such as the raising of children, love or domestic issues, or, sometimes, just people wanting a quiet chat and a slice of snail pie with one of the most sagely and wisest monsters alive. She might not be queen anymore, but she was still an important and vital pillar in the monster community.

But now, she had her own issue and problem to deal with, and in a cruel twist of irony, no one to talk to for advice about it. Tucked away in the guest bedroom for many days now, were Asgore, alive and physically well... but not so spiritually, and definitely not in a state for anyone to see him.

It was just like she had feared. Necromantic magic was poisonous and corruptive to the soul but it had also been the only way to get the old monster back. It had deeply affected her dear Gory, with only the hope that caring and kindness might salvage what remained of the former king... For something of him still remained. His appearance was much the same, excepting the dark lines that ran across his face, originating from a set of black eyes inlaid by sickly yellow irises, clutter around by ominously purple veins that somehow managed to shine through his facial fur. He was like an older, eviler version of the God of Hyperdeath.

Toriel gently nudged the door to the guest bedchamber open, bearing a tray laden with a slice of snail pie, a cup of his favorite tea and a small basket of assorted cookies.  
"Gorey? Are you there?" She called into the quiet room. The old king was out on the balcony, looking out over the vista of Ebott propped up against the setting sun.

She put the tray down on the bed and went to join him, gently placing a paw on his shoulder "Gorey? I brought you something to eat. Your favorite food and tea" she said. He responded with a grunt and shrug of the shoulder that threw her paw off.  
"Asgore... are you alright? I understand what you went through must have been dreadful and horrible, but you don't have to carry it alone. We're here for you if you ever need to talk"  
Asgore's breathing grew funny for a moment, but he still stood unmoving, looking over the City of Monsters. Toriel joined him at his side.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it? It's the city you helped build. None of this could have happened without you, my love. You-"  
"I know" Asgore grunted, almost more a cough than a sentence.  
"Gorey?" she said quietly. Since his return, her former husband had not said much, barely a peep, but now she sensed something malicious behind his words.  
"I know, Toriel. I know I helped create all this, yet... there's nothing"  
"Nothing? Nothing of what?"  
The Great King sighed and looked down at his paws. "I know the part I played, for better or worse, yet when I look over this city... there's nothing. I feel no pride in my role in all of this, no hope for the future of our people"  
"You-you've been through a lot, my love, it is only normal that you would be confused"  
"It's more than just 'confused'" Asgore muttered darkly and looked back up at the Royal Castle in the distance.

"The only thing I can think off is how easy it would be to go up there and take my crown back. The only thing I can feel is excitement at the thought of what I could do then. The excesses I could revel in, the evil deeds I could incite" he turned to the horrified Toriel, doing his best not to grin at the dark thoughts "I want to do it so deeply. I know it's bad and wrong, but... stars help me, I want to do it so desperately, Toriel, to hurt, to maim, to cause suffering!"  
"Tha-that's not who you are, Asgore. You are a kind and wise ruler! This isn't you!" Toriel protested, more at the words than Asgore himself. She might once have held caustic thoughts about him but not once had she believed her husband didn't have monsterkind's best interests at heart. A coward maybe, but never cruel.

"I know that. It's the only thing that's holding me back" Asgore said lowly "Deposing my own children. Seize power for myself. Waste our people's potential for my own wants and desires. I know it's all wrong... and still..." He turned to face Toriel and calmly placed his paws on her shoulders, inching them closer and closer to her throat.  
"Even now, even you, when I see your loving eyes and hear your gentle voice..." his paws tightened. Fear settled in Toriel chest and a choked whine escaped her "I want nothing more than to turn it to the hurt of betrayal. To squeeze until it snaps"  
"A-Asgore. You're hurting me" Toriel managed to gasp. She willed fire magic into paws that shook with fear at what was happening. Luckily, the old king relented, letting go and backing away with a scowl.  
"I have to leave. I am a danger to you all. I don't know if I can keep these emotions in check. One day I might-"  
"No!" The former queen denied with a stomp. She stood straight-backed as a log with her paws folded before her and her muzzle slightly tilted upwards, the perfect image of resolute nobility  
"What?"  
"You are Not going anywhere, Dreemurr. You have given so much to this city and our people. It is time we gave something back. Or that I did, at least" she added with a silent tone before reaching for one of his paws.  
"Come, there's something I need to show you"

Somewhat flustered, Asgore took the paw into his own and allowed himself to be led back through the guest bedroom and into the hallway beyond. They passed a wall covered in pictures, stories from the monarch's life during and after leaving the Underground, each with their own little meaning. Toriel slowed down here, nodding at one showing a pair of feline monster parents holding a sickly-looking but nevertheless smiling child standing in front of a light-brownish river.  
"People still tell tales about that one. A lot of younger people think it never happened"  
Asgore glanced at the picture with disinterest "It was an impulsive action on my part. It was still early in my reign and I wanted to please"  
"You say that, but to me, that was the first sign our new king was someone extraordinary" Toriel reminisced and closed her eyes for a moment.

"The child was sick beyond healing. Even you couldn't do anything... except listening to its last wish. That it could have a chocolate fountain"  
"We didn't have a fountain"  
"I know, but we had the river. For a whole week, you had the river turned into chocolate. Right up until the poor child finally passed"  
"It caused a whole bunch of trouble. Public transport ceased along the river because Riverperson couldn't sail through it"  
"But you knew it would happen?"  
"I... suppose I did"  
"And yet you still did it. Some people may have called you shortsighted or foolish, others thought anyone with authority such as yours causing such a public disturbance just so a child could have its final wish fulfilled was the mark of just the leader we needed... me included"  
"This was all a very long time ago, Toriel. Even if my experience in the Void hadn't happened I wouldn't be the same person as I was then" Asgore grunted dismissively.  
"True, perhaps you aren't the same, but you never lost the qualities that made our people adore you so. Perhaps you weren't as impulsive or rash as before... 'tempered' I think, would describe you better" Toriel mused. Her eyes shifted over to another picture showing a soot-covered Asgore smiling nervously, with a just as dirty group of monsters standing with him in front of a burned down building "And speaking of tempered, if anyone had any doubt about your courage this little escapade soon set them straight" she sensed Asgore shuffle in behind her, giving a small grunt of surprise as he saw the picture as well.

"Huh, I had almost forgotten about that day" he mumbled.  
"You had almost forgotten about the time you ran alone into a burning building to save some trapped monsters?... My Gorey in a nutshell" Toriel said with a tired laugh.  
"I wasn't thinking. We hadn't yet established any kind of fire brigade and no monster with any kind of aquamancy was nearby" Asgore explained dourly "And besides, I was well-versed in fire-magic at the time, I was resistant to the flames"  
"Resistant perhaps, but not immune, and so much else could have happened to you. You could have succumbed to the smoke, gotten lost or had the building collapse on your... and yet you ran in, regardless of the dangers"  
"As I said; I wasn't thinking"  
"You can't be brave without being a little dumb sometimes" Toriel mused and turned to flash him a kind smile "And I guess we both know who had the brains in our relationship, right?"  
Asgore huffed and turned his side to her, eliciting another low laugh from Toriel "I am just teasing you, Gorey. Perhaps you haven't always been the sharpest horn on the head... but you have always had far, far more courage and heart than me" she glanced over at another pictured frame, showing a happy family, the fallen child and an armful of flowers "In truth, I'm glad our children took more after you than me"  
"Toriel, what is the point of all this?" Asgore grunted impatiently "I've told you; try as I might I just cannot find any interest in these old tales. Even now, this old picture of our family... It's strange. My worst fear used to be losing that but now... I fear death most of all"  
"You're afraid of dying? Well, I can imagine most people are"  
"It's more than that. Were I to perish now I would be dragged right back down to the Void. I can't go back, Toriel, I can't-" he trailed off, captivated by a sudden idea as his eyes settled on a figure in the picture; Asriel "Of course. The life-bond! With it gone I would regain my immortality! I just need to find my son and-"  
A sudden, tight and dangerously fiery warm grip settled around his wrist, accompanied by a dire growl from Toriel that quickly dissuaded him from continuing that line of thought.  
"You're right, we're wasting time, and this wasn't what I wanted to show you. Come with me" she ordered icily.

With the king in tow, the former queen led them through the house and into the living room. She parked the larger monster on a chair at the dining table, giving him strict instructions not to leave before heading back upstairs.  
Asgore could only grunt impatiently at it all. He wanted nothing more than to storm out the door and reclaim his crown, and it was only through an effort of will he remained seated.

'So, I guess I am evil now' he thought to himself, suppressing a small chortle. Perhaps it was lucky he couldn't feel any true disgust with himself and his current state of mind. He knew how far he had fallen and he earnestly wanted it to bother him. But there was nothing, only ideas, and thoughts on how he could cause the most hurt and damage.

He briefly thought back to the scene on the terrace. His paws around her throat. So exhilarating! He imagined what might have happened were he to have pulled through with the act. If he had scooped her dust up and paraded it around for all to see. How his children would have reacted and how he would have laughed at their horrified faces.  
He caught himself bolting from the chair, with his body almost unconsciously going off on its own to carry out the deed. The urge was there, so deep and entrenched it was like it had always been there. He forced himself to sit back down, deep breaths wafting from him and his mind going back to ancient times, a time of sunny skies, gentle, warm winds and of intriguing talks while walking the palace gardens.

* * *

Asgore remembered one in particular. Trough the mists of his memory he thought back to his youth, before the war. He had been a bit of a troublemaker back then, all the time spent grooming him to become the next ruler, the hours wasted learning the political rules, social etiquette, how to balance budgets and draft laws and the like was like filling a balloon until it was ready to burst. The only way to relieve his boredom was to sometimes sneak out his window and night and then enjoy the nightly splendor of the place he was to rule. It was all educational, he told himself, until one night where he was taught that not everyone liked their king-to-be drinking their Tem Tonic and ale while hogging all the attention at the local tavern. A scuffle had ensued, paws flying and magic roaring.

The next day, bruised and with reddish cheeks, Asgore had been 'invited' to a walk with his father in the royal garden, although he knew refusing would just dig himself an even deeper grave. Skittish and contrite, he had made to join his dad who greeted him, somewhat surprising for the young prince, with an amused smile. He bade him join him at his side as they walked along the botanical wonders of the old monster kingdom.  
"So, the catchpole told me you were up funny business tonight?" the king had asked.  
"I... I'm sorry dad"  
"Whatever for?"  
"F-for causing so many problems. I promise it won't happen again"  
"Don't make promises you're not sure you can keep, my son. And besides, I can hardly blame you for wanting to vent a little, can I?"  
"Huh?"  
"Asgore, you're at the chrysalis-stage between child an adult now. Of course you want to show the world what you can do, to cut loose and have some fun. But you have to understand, us being what we are, people hold us to a higher standard. If that faith is shattered... well, it would be a bit of a bigger problem than the prince going on a drunken bender" the king finished with a soft chuckle.

Asgore felt his spirits rise a little, his dad didn't seem disappointed in the slightest, but as they did so to did some of his frustrations come to the fore.  
"By the way, how did the fight start?" His dad inquired.  
"Tch, some jerk thought I had had enough and tried to swipe my drink from me"  
"So, of course, logically, your inebriated but nonetheless clear and concise resolution was to punch him?" His dad said as if it was the most obvious choice. Asgore felt some of the shame return "Maybe... a little punch?"  
"Asgore..."  
"But why can't I!? I spend almost all day listening to boring lectures and the norms of places I've never even heard off! Why can't I just have this? Why can't I have some fun without... without some peasant yokel-" he trailed off, regret at his words instantly filling him, only magnified by the slow turning of his dad's head, casting a disapproving frown down at him.  
"I'm... forgive me, I didn't mean... Golly, I'm such a jerk myself..."  
"... Come with me, there's something I want to show you" His dad said, all emotion having left his voice before veering off down a side path. Asgore followed behind, his reddish cheek bright enough to shine through his facial fur.  
"Dad...?" He skittishly called out, without response. "Do you think... Do you think that, maybe it would be better if... if I didn't succeed you? I know you keep telling how important I is for us to be patient and good to our people, but... I'm not just sure I can do that. I can get so angry! And then I make bad choices... maybe it would better if I just..." he trailed off, a weariness suddenly settling on his shoulder.

Surprisingly, a small laugh escaped from his dad and he gestured for him to quicken his pace and join him at his side as they walked "Ah, Asgore. I'm honestly glad to hear you say that"  
"Y-you are!?"  
"Indeed. You are inexperienced, my son, but you're not a bad person. A good person is fully aware of their own limitations and shortcomings and what dangers they could entail. If they weren't how could they ever strive to grow and evolve?"  
"I guess..."  
"And there's nothing wrong with anger, as long as you don't overdo it. Remember, as a prince you have to act with a certain sense of decorum. But that doesn't mean you should ever diminish yourself. If someone does you an injustice, you must act. If someone willfully harms others, you must stop them. It is important you do not allow your title and status to make you believe you're by default better than others, but of equal importance is that you never forget that you are important, not just to me and your mother but also our people. Never forget that" he said and looked down at his son with an amused grin "And besides, I'm surprised you're able to still get worked up, considering how much you spar and practice with Caderas"  
Asgore shrugged "It's fun enough, but there's just so much about proper footwork and posture he goes through before we ever get to the actual sparring"  
"Well, maybe that's another lesson. It's always good to have your feet firmly planted before you leap in"  
Asgore nodded along, mulling over the words as they walked. A sudden paw on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts.

They had stopped in front of an illustrious flowerbed containing magical specimens from all over the world. Bright purple Dreemurrdendrons, hairy Bearberries, explosively red Voldons and fiery Grillups. However, one plant, in particular, caught Asgore's eye; a tall, green stalk supporting a bulbous blue sac inside which he could just faintly spot liquid sloshing about. A pair of small, rainbow-colored leaves grew out of the stalk, so minute they almost seemed underdeveloped. His dad crouched down beside it, gently running a paw alongside the sac as if a single careless brush might cause it to burst.  
"Do you know what this is?" He asked. To his chagrin, Asgore found he didn't despite his interest in plants. He dug through all his knowledge; the long stalk would imply it used photosynthesis and needed to rise out of the shadows of other plants, and it's bright blue pigment would no doubt need a lot of nutrients to maintain. Nevertheless, it seemed to prosper and thrive well enough in the flowerbed, despite the competition from the other plants.  
"It's called a Water-Winch" his dad explained "A very rare and very peculiar little specimen. It is somewhat parasitic in nature in that it leches nutrients not just from the soil but also from other plants around it. On the other paw, it is capable of magically creating and storing water which it doles out to the other plants in exchange. This way there is balance, but still, the Water-Winch has to starve itself in order to survive"  
"Starve? It looks healthy enough to me"  
"Look at the leaves on its side, Asgore. The Water-Winch would need a lot more nutrients to ever grow to its full potential, but were it to do that the other plants would die, and then, without a food source, the Water-Winch would die as well" The king explained, taking a moment to enjoy the utter fascination in his son's eyes before speaking again.

"And that is the final lesson for the day"  
"Huh? How a Water-Winch works?"  
"Heh, well, that too. But no, what I mean is, in a way, the Water-Winch is a lot like us, Asgore"  
"Is it?"  
"Yes. In its own way, the Water-Winch is the king of the flower bed. Every other flower needs the water it spreads, just like a people need their king's protection. In exchange they give the Water-Winch nutrients, which could be likened to taxes and tithes, I suppose" He placed a paw on Asgore's shoulder and his voices dropped to a more serious tone. "But were it to want to, the Water-Winch could kill every other plant in the bed and in doing so enjoy a few days of utter and complete fulfillment before dying off as well. That is what you have to be aware of, my son. As a king, you could take whatever you want, you could avail yourself of whatever luxury or excess available in your kingdom, forgetting all about your royal duties and then, taking a page from your book, 'punching' anyone who spoke up against you. It would be a fun, wild and no doubt extremely amusing experience, but once it is over and the dust settles you will find yourself with nothing left. And a king without a people is no king at all"  
Asgore listened wide-eyed, nodding understandingly.  
"Did you get all that, my son?" the king asked.  
"I think. You somehow went from a bar brawl to royal dereliction of duty"  
"Heh, well, exaggeration promotes understanding" He said and stood up again, gazing over a large open field in the royal gardens in which several monster families had set up picnics and played around.

"You know what, how about we drop your studies for the day?" He suddenly asked matter-of-factly.  
"Wha- really!?"  
"Why not? You might have a weight of importance on your shoulders, but by golly, if it isn't also important to enjoy life every once in a while. Now run along" he finished with an affirmative clap on the shoulder, smiling happily as the prince ran off to join a group of friends, singing and shouting as friends do as they marched down into town.

* * *

Asgore clung unto that one memory, a simple lesson on how a king must act despite his misgivings. He relived the memory in his head over and over until it settled, his dustlust faded and he calmed.

"Here we are!" He heard Toriel happily sing. He looked up, finding another memory from the past right before him. Toriel now wore a dark blue, long-sleeved robe speckled with small yellow stars. It looked like a piece of the night sky pulled down to earth and then made into a kind of nightgown. On her head she wore a strange hat, with a long top that lopped down behind her and ended in another yellow star, making the whole thing look like a shooting star coming out of her head.

"Your... astromancy robes" Asgore muttered in slight disbelief.  
"Indeed. My former calling before a certain charming king came and swept me off my feet" Toriel replied and performed a quick twirl "I've always wanted to teach children. First, it was about the stars and what they meant for us, but after the war... well, it felt a little pointless then"  
"And it always has been. The stars don't care one whit for us, Toriel. Never have and never will" Asgore spat derisively.  
"Bluster if you must, but before the war, I and my colleagues helped many people by divining what the stars were trying to tell us"  
"Pure coincidence, I'm sure"  
"Well, if you think that surely it can't hurt to try?" She said with a wink before sitting down across from Asgore.

She pulled a small box out containing a deck of cards, a small plastic star that hummed with magic and a compass. The star soared to hover above the table and the cards followed after, spreading and hovering around the star in a clutter while the compass was placed in the middle of the table.  
"Is this really a time for games, Toriel?" The king grunted.  
"It is a game for your very soul, my love" she replied in a low tone "Our sins and LV are baggage we carry with us all over lives and I have never heard of someone being fully cleansed of them. But, maybe, with luck, the stars will show us a way"  
"Pft, waste of time"  
"Oh, quit your whining and let me try and save you already!"  
"There's nothing that can be done. Just let me find a hole to die in so you can-"  
" **FOR THE LAST TIME, DREEMURR, NO!** " Toriel snarled, her eyes briefly igniting in magical fire while she grabbed his paw almost hard enough to draw dust.  
" **Listen here, you pathetic whelp! You are a hero to** monsterkind **! You are the father of our children and the monster I love! Yes, maybe this is all a waste of time, but if there is even the slightest chance this might save your soul, then you had better park your hairy arse on that chair and let me help you! I will not give up you and I WILL NOT let you give up on yourself! Do you understand, Dreemurr!?** "

Despite the fog of evil clouding Asgore's mind, a ray of the admiration, love and even a slight bit of the intimidation he had felt for her in his past life shone through. Most people only knew the former queen as a kind, wise and calm voice of reason, but then again, you never really know somebody until you marry them.

Golly, he was lucky he had been the one, he thought.

He managed a quick and intimidated nod, satisfying the former queen enough that she let go of his paw and regained her composure.  
"Most excellent. Now, this 'game', as you so injudiciously call it, is simple enough. You merely need to pick a card" she icily explained.  
"A-a card?"  
"Yes, Dreemurr, one of the very cards floating right in front of your snout, in case you were wondering"

Throwing off his chagrin, the darkened king looked them over. They all had a cover of an exploding starburst, but... one, in particular, seemed a bit brighter than the others, as if it was highlighted for him. He raised a claw to poke at it, but just before contact, the hovering star blasted the card down at the table, landing face down north of the compass.  
He gave Toriel an owlish look "Should I, uh, flip it over?"  
"Yes, Gorey, that would make this whole séance a lot easier"  
"R-right" he muttered, digging a claw under the card and turning it over.

It showed what looked liked a constellation of a small bovine monster waving, arrayed against an enormous, shining moon. A picture that evoked ancient memories of his small amount of schooling in monster-aligned astrological matters.  
"The Mooncalf" he muttered.  
"Ah yes, the young Mooncalf, said to be the protector of children and innocents"  
"Toriel, for such a 'young' thing, you do realize it's probably millions of years old, right? And besides, I'm neither in need of protection, a child or an innocent. Unless we take it as to mean the children and innocents needs protection from me"  
"You can be young in more ways that one. Young in body, young in mind or young in soul. As you know, we monsters are born with souls free of LV and with a tendency towards kindness and compassion. That is a gift from the Mooncalf, it is said, and only through great conceit, foolishness or tragedy do we forsake and throw away this gift"  
"I think I fall squarely into all 3 categories"  
"Well, maybe the Mooncalf haven't given up on you yet. If it can gift us with souls free of LV, maybe it can also purge yours of the same?

A slight glimmer of excitement blossomed in the king's dark heart, yet whether it was excitement for proving his wife wrong, or for actually saving himself he couldn't quite tell.  
"So, what do I need to do?"  
From seemingly underneath the table Toriel fished up an ancient, weathered tome and calmly rifled through the pages "Mooncalf... to the north... can't quite remember..." she muttered to herself, looking for the answer in the yellowed pages.  
Asgore allowed himself a groan of exasperation. Before, he might have found this little game charming, but now it was only serving to drain his already steadily dwindling reserves of patience.  
"There it is..." Toriel muttered, her eyes scanning the opened pages and her lips twitching as she wordlessly read. When it turned into a surprised frown Asgore couldn't help but throw his paws up.  
"Let me guess. It's some ancient nonsense about an inner journey or finding spiritual cleansing by meditating for a fortnight while having temmies climbing all over you"  
"No, it's... actually quite simple. Just not what I had hoped for" the former queen breathed and looked up at him with worried eyes. "You do need to go on a journey, though. To the north"  
"To the north?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow "Not very specific, is it?"  
"I don't think you'll have to find a specific place either. Maybe it's more about the journey, or a test, or-"  
"You don't have to cover it up, Toriel. I get it. You want me out of Ebott without hurting my feelings, so you concocted this whole charade. Well, let me tell you, you can save your breath. You shouldn't care about me, for I don't care about. I **Cant** care about you. The only feelings I have for you right now are ones of violence and... deviancy" Asgore spat.

But his only answer was Toriel shooting him a disappointed frown "Do you think I care about how you feel about me right now? This isn't about me! This is about you! Here, you can read it for yourself if you don't believe me" She hissed, sliding the book over to him "And you're wrong. Even if you can't love me anymore, I never stopped loving you. Even back then, when I left you... I wanted to hate you, and I wanted the human children I found to hate you as well. But they never did. Maybe because I never truly did either" she paused for a few seconds "I can't force you to go on this journey, nor can I even accompany you. In truth, I'd far rather you stay. Even as you are now... I like having you around, Gorey. You complete me" she sighed and lowered her head "But what I want doesn't matter. My selfishness tore our family apart before... but the choice is yours, Gorey. If you truly want to cleanse your souls of LV, you need to do this"  
"... Fine"  
"Y-you'll do it?"  
"If only to spare me from your whining" Asgore grunted and rose from the chair, headed to the kitchen.  
Toriel had to blink a few times in surprise but mentally chided herself as she made to follow him. Of course, even with his soul filled with LV, her Gorey would still do the right thing. Even if it went against all of his wants and desires.

He had done so before, after all.

* * *

By the time Asgore had pilfered enough food from the kitchen for a long journey and wordlessly shouldered past Toriel to the door, night had fallen on Ebott. The windows on houses down the street were lit up with cool lights, shadows betraying the hustle of life inside. And none of them aware of the departure of their thought-dead king right outside.

With a bag of food slung over his shoulder, Asgore walked through the garden, only stopping just one step shy of leaving the Dreemurr residence, maybe for the last time.  
"North, was it?" he asked, casting an eye over his shoulder at her.  
Toriel, standing in the door, desperately trying to hold back her tears, nodded.

"Remember Asgore, even if you don't find what you're looking for you will always have a home here. The only reasons you're leaving... is so that you can come back to us. To me" she called to him.  
Asgore merely shrugged before finally taking the step, his large frame quietly disappearing into the night. Without ceremony, without fanfare but not without remorse the King under the mountain set out an uncertain, lonesome journey

Toriel's efforts finally failed and small droplets fell on the cobblestones of the garden lane. He was right, astromancy was far from a certain thing but it was all she had. That, and hope. Hope that her long-suffering husband, one of the noblest souls of monsterkind, could finally find the peace he deserved. If not in this life then, at least, in the next.

Like an unbidden visitor, an old memory from her childhood came to mind. A poem a senior astromancer had once told her when she had been but a small child herself, asking to know what love held in store for her. She had often wondered what it meant before life's goings had made her forget entirely.

But now she remembered, and now she knew. Falling on her knees. She knew.

"So silent a king can fall apart in peace.  
No wandering eyes, no judging tears.  
The king can weep his tale of woe  
One by one, he unravels.  
Progeny lost, future doomed.  
He threads that held his heart.  
A name, her name  
Silently, he whispers her name.  
A scream that splits the night apart.  
He bleeds the pain that held him up  
Piece by piece, the darkness  
Embraces another soul.  
Longest road, bleakest night  
Though ominous thought, unwilling feet  
The king will find, a journey made  
Peace, return, rejoice  
An end"

* * *

 **FYI, the poem at the end is not entirely mine, although I did add a few changes. Found it on the net some days ago with no author attached and thought it was fitting.**

 **Until next time!**


	16. Souls of Ebott

**And we're back! And it looks like the beginning of the end!**

* * *

Frisk's mind was nothing but a blanket of fog, only slowly being lifted. Inch by inch she tried to crawl from the depths of unconsciousness. She remembered Aaron, an alley, a human... then someone grabbing her from behind.

She tried to stand up straight but found she was bound. Her hands were tied and she could feel them brush against something coarse and bark-like. Was she bound to a three? She managed to raise her head and force her eyes open, it was blurry but she could just barely make out a house in front of her. One she felt like she remembered...

Home?

" **Urahaha! Frisk the Determined! Bound and at my mercy! Tell me, what fearful nightmares clouds your heart this instant? What pitiful prayers for your life are forming in your head as we speak?** "  
The voice came from the darkness around her, everywhere and nowhere at once. It had a rumbling, demonic intonation to it... but at the same time also smacked of childish mischief. Perhaps it was her still stunned mind that did it, but Frisk found herself with a smile on her lips and an eagerness to play along.  
"Please! What dastardly scoundrel would dare to laugh at me in this, my hour of plight!?" she said with her best 'Damsel-in-distress' tone.  
" **You wish to know my name? Such knowledge would blast lesser minds to oblivion! But which name to give, of the many I have? The Demon That Comes When you Call its Name? The Red-Eyed Devil? The Fallen Angel? The Chocolate Monster?** "

Frisk just barely managed to suppress a giggle. Perhaps she had hurt her head. Here she was, bound and tied stars knew where with, by all accounts, a child threatening her, and she was on the verge of laughing.  
"Torment me no more! I cannot bear it, foul thing! Reveal yourself, in all your horrid ghastliness!"  
" **Urahaha! Very well, I shall show you the nightmare that is I. But know this, Frisk Dremurr the Determined; while you are my prisoner, you will find no release. There is no hope for you. There is only...** "

A figure stepped out of the darkness and the voice finally had a form. It was a ghost, a ghost of a child wearing a striped shirt. Bat-like wings made of shadow stretched from it's back, and horns of the same kind of shadow rose from its head. Dark liquid dripped from its eyes and its mouth was twisted into a demented smile that nonetheless, only a child could have. Already before it said its name, Frisk knew who it was, from the one story Asriel had told her.

" **CHARA DREEMURR!** "

* * *

Asriel barely managed to duck under the sweep, narrowly avoiding the return strike by tucking and rolling under it. He sprang to his feet, launching a fireball aimed at Undyne's head with one paw while using the other to lash out at her legs with his quarterstaff, but the captain wasn't so easily bested. She grabbed the fireball in her armored hand where it exploded harmlessly while stomping down on the staff, pinning it to the ground. The sudden arrest of his weapon caused Asriel to stumble forwards, right towards Undyne's raised spear. He was just barely able to pivot out of the way on his heel, using the momentum to launch into a flaming spinning backpaw. The move caught Undyne by surprise and even though she barely managed to block it she staggered backward from the impact.

Asriel immediately pounced upon the reversal, pulling her spear arm out and landing an uppercut into her elbow, hard enough to make her release her weapon but not enough to cause any damage. He made to capitalized by swinging at her head, but his paw only hit empty air. Instead, Undyne's head found his, by smashing into it in a headbutt, he really back, just barely noticing something at his feet through the red haze in his vision. A blue light appeared on the ground he was standing and without pause, Asriel, panicky, began backpedaling. Spears soared into the sky and the light spread on the ground, following him. He turned to run, finding himself headed towards a wall. There was only one way to go.  
Up.

Gaining as much speed and momentum as he could, Asriel managed a full 3 steps up the wall before kicking off in a somersault over the spears. He glimpsed Undyne down on the ground, getting ready to strike him as he landed. He fired off a quick fireball, easily dodged by the captain but enough to make her abort her attack and make her lose sight of him for a moment. He landed behind her and with an outstretched paw willed his quarterstaff to him. It was there in a flash and without missing a beat Asriel swung it behind him without looking.

It was a risky maneuver, but as he felt it crash into a helmeted head, it was also vindicated.  
Right up until Undyne's spear also smashed into his head, due to her having done the exact same attack as him. And thus, the sound of 2 persons collapsing to the ground blew from the sparring arena in Undyne's backyard.

Stars swam in Asriel's vision and through the haze he could just barely see a battered and bruised Flowey, dazedly swaying and with X's for eyes. Somewhere inside his head, he could hear his more primal goat side bleat at him to be more careful. It was tempting to give in to it and just start grazing on the grass beneath him, if only it would take away the thundering headache.

"He-hey, Punk... ya still alive?" He could hear Undyne wheeze. From the sound of it, she was as battered as him.  
"Yeah... though I'm almost wishing I weren't"  
"Good... that's good. Would'a hated having to explain how I accidentally dusted the new king. Nothing but drama"  
"Master Undyne, you think we could call it quits for today?"  
"Heh, what, a major concussion too much for you?"  
"If I say 'yes' can I go?"  
"Fine, gotta save our energy for the battle anyway" Undyne finished. She attempted to stand up, but only got halfway before a groan escaped her and she fell back down.

"Oh man... gotta say, that one stung, Azzy. Whaddya say we call it a tie?"  
Asriel tilted his head towards her, a seed of pride suddenly planted in his chest "What, really!?"  
"Oh, that's right. First time you've gotten me without a human soul? Congrats, only took you, what, 3-4 years?"  
"Oh... golly..." And there it was, seed uprooted and squashed.

Undyne reached over to playfully punch his shoulder "Hey, I didn't mean it like that... say, did you watch those training videos I sent ya?"  
Asriel blinked a few times in surprise at the sudden turn "Uhh, yeah, the boxing ones? I did"  
"Whaddya take from it?"  
"Some pointers one shoulder movements, I guess" he shrugged, aiming a curious look at the captain.  
"It wasn't really that I was aiming for. What I wanted to show you was that life... is surprisingly similar to a match in the ring"  
"What?"  
She craned her head down towards him. The blame flame in her visor was the only indication that someone was inside the armor, and it seemed more gentle than usual.  
"Azzy, it doesn't matter how many times you get hit or how many times you get knocked down, as long as you have what it takes to get back up. There's no KO in real life. The ones who can't tough it to the end? Those are the real losers. So what if it took ya a few years? You kept trying and now look at me. D'ya know how expensive fixing this bulge in my helmet is gonna be?"  
"But still, if it took me so long..."  
"Only goes to show Frisk isn't the only one with Determination 'round here. Hell, you've tried being dead once, can't get much more down than that, and now, you're a king. There's a promotion if I've ever seen one. From zero to hero."

A small smile spread across Asriel's muzzle. Perhaps... he had come quite far from his life in the Underground. There was only this last hurdle with Chara and the Void to surmount. Perhaps then, Ebott, him and Frisk could finally know some measure of peace.  
"Thanks, Undyne"  
"Don't mention it. Now get yer furry butt home and get some rest, ya little scamp. Gotta be ready for the battle tonight"

* * *

" **You-your insolence will be your undoing! You don't know what powers you're toying with, mortal!** " the half-demon, half-spirit, half-child Chara said, struggling to maintain their composure against Frisk's unrelenting, but not entirely unflattering, advances.

"Mortal? That's actually kind of kinky! You really know which buttons to push, don't you?" she cooed.  
" **N-No! I most certainly do not! I am Chara! I am very dangerous and needs to be taken seriously by those who value their lives!** "  
"A life with you is not something you'd be able to put a value on" Frisk said, flashing an eyelash.  
" **O-oh...** " The first child muttered. Despite their ghostly transparency, what looked like an embarrassed blush blossomed on their cheeks. Even their wings and claws, made entirely of dark magic and shadows, took on a pinkish hue. Chara looked dumbfounded before suddenly shaking their head with an angry grunt.  
" **No! You won't bamboozle me that easily! I know what your plan is; trying to seduce your captor so you can escape with your life? Should have expected that from a human...** "  
"That's not-"  
" **Well, let's see what you're hiding underneath that confident facade of flirts and pretty faces! You can hide your intentions... but you cannot hide your soul and the soul never lies!** "

Chara thrust a claw into Frisk and pulled it out in one fast movement, clutching a pulsating, red heart. Frisk had to gasp at the sudden sense of violation but managed to recover fast enough. For the first time since waking up, Frisk felt fear, fear at seeing their soul, the very culmination in their being in the claws of such a mythical figure as Chara.  
And yet, seeing the childish mischief in their eyes, she was almost convinced she wasn't in any true danger.  
" **Urahahaha! Behold the power of Chara! No soul is safe from my grasp and my appetite for them can never be quenched!** "  
"Can't all monsters pull souls out?"  
" **Oh quiet you! Your pleas won't save you now! Urahaha...ha... eh... alright, what in the world is this, Frisk?** " The Demon-child had changed from booming confidence to sudden disbelief once having looked Frisk's soul over.  
"Is there something wrong?"  
" **No! No there isn't! There's nary a stain on your soul!?** "  
"That's weird, considering my browser history"  
" **Grrr! This doesn't make any sense! You're a human, and yet your soul- GRAH!** " Rearing back, Chara tossed the soul right back into Frisk, with a snarl. They huffed and puffed like only a child trying to overtly display how annoyed they were could.

A few moments passed until the First Child finally calmed, slowly shaking their head " **Guess I can see why Asriel took a fancy to you...** "  
Frisk perked up a bit, sensing an air of melancholy around the child. "Asriel... really misses you, same with mom and dad" she explained calmly.  
" **Oh, shush...** "  
"It's true. They even made a statue of you, the largest one in Ebott!"  
Chara's head sprang up, wide-eyed "R-really!?" they gasped, the demonic rumbling in their voice completely gone.  
"Mhmm, right in the middle of the Royal Park. There's even an urban legend going around that underneath it all the statue is filled with chocolate, and that it was Asriel's idea"  
Chara's eyes were glowing with wonder, joy and a sad sense of vindication "They... they still remember me... even after everything..."  
"They do. Asriel more than everyone"  
"... How is he doing?"  
A wry smile crept across Frisk's face, already knowing where this would lead "Considering all he's been through, I'd say very well"  
"All he's been through? What's happened?"  
"Oh, do I have a story for you! It involves kidnapping! A Crownquest! Epic fights for the fate of the world! Mysteries! Intrigue! An Airship... and some of the best years of my life"

Beginning calmly from the stories Asriel had told her, Frisk began regaling all the events from after the Barrier was shattered til now, albeit with a slightly more raunchy tone. Nevertheless, the small demon-child sat down, cross-legged and eagerly listened to it all.

* * *

"Stars alive, that concussion was so bad even I felt it and I don't even have a body" Flowey whined inside Asriel's head. Weary and battered but confident the 2 of them had wandered home after the sparring match, just now nearing the quaint Dreemurr estate attached to the side of the royal castle.

"I don't get it; you don't even like fighting so why do you keep playing beating goat to the sardine soldier?" the flower continued.  
"You know why, it's so that I can protect monsterkind when I need to" Asriel replied tiredly. He reached the door, digging a claw into the keyhole and turning while whispering a short spell of unlocking, causing the door to click open.  
"That's the line you keep feeding, but the way I see it, it's your personal royal guard and colonel cod who should be doing the protectin', not you. You're just the Orcus on his throne. And what about Frisk? You don't see her spendin' her day gettin' punched in the snout"  
"You know Frisk, she doesn't have to lay a finger on you for her to defeat you"  
"Yeah, I guess you're right... oh, by the way, shadow at 2'o'clock"

Asriel turned his head to look, fully expecting another trick from the flower, but sure enough, standing quietly in the shadow of a corner in the living room was the figure of a person. Asriel felt his dust run cold and he reached behind his cape, locking his fingers on his quarterstaff  
"H-howdy, can I help you?" he asked out loud, not entirely managing to hide the quiver in his voice. The shade took a step forward into the light. It was a human holding a piece of paper. Asriel was about to ask again when a sudden flash of recognition sprang into his mind. A light-blue silk shirt with palms and coconuts, black slacks and a face that was halfway between a back-alley brute and an upper-class twit, but it was only when he read up from the paper that Asriel fully remembered.  
"Asriel Dreemurr, present King of Ebott and all of monsterkind. 23 years of age with some sources claiming he might be several decades older. Straight A's in school with no higher education, but has been privately tutored by then King Asgore in rulership. Is also highly proficient in a hitherto unknown style of martial art including magic developed by the captain of the royal guard. Assessment: Extremely dangerous" the man finished, finally lifting his face from the page.

Asriel could only stare dumbfounded. One of the assassins from his Crownquest was just about the last thing he expected "Lee?"  
"Y'know, there's a saying in my line of work 'if you have to read a contract twice, you've already messed up'. Still, I'm honored you remember me, your highness"  
Asriel tightened his grip and spread his feet, ready for anything. Lee must have noticed as he raised his hands calmly.  
"Not to worry, I'm not here to kill anyone. In fact, I'm here to offer my services, your lordship" Lee offered, standing straight and with hands folded behind his back, looking just like an inter-city pencil pusher ready to reveal an outstanding fiscal report.  
Asriel's features shifted from surprise, then straight back to anger " **Ebott never has, and never will, have need of a hired killer! Now get out of my home!** " he growled.  
The human didn't bite, instead, he settled into an easy swagger, looking around the room.  
"Speaking of home, it's a nice one you got here. You'd expect the home of the ruling family to be much more opulent and grandiose, but this? Nice and modest"  
"I won't warn you again, Lee!"  
"But it's like it's missing something, like only one person living wouldn't be enough to fill it. Like a nest missing it's queen bee" the human explained, flashing a knowing grin to Asriel.

The king felt a shiver down his back "You didn't..." he hissed.  
"Oh, I did, but you have to understand it's just business. It's also why I am here. When I said I was offering my services, I didn't mean offing some schmuck for you. I meant information" Lee settled back into his calm, relaxed posture, fully expecting the monster to beg for his aid.  
But no answer was forthcoming, instead, seeing the air around Asriel shimmer as if in a heat haze, as well as his green eyes boring into him, Lee suddenly got the impression he was in abject mortal danger.

"Uh, we-we didn't harm her, of course, she's fine. I'm even willing to do something a professional like me would never do; violate the non-disclose agreement we have with our clients"  
"Just... why?" Asriel growled in a voice that somehow sounded fiery.  
"Because I..." Lee began, nervously scratching the back of his neck "... think I might have gotten in over my head with this one, that it might mean the end of the world and that you're the only one who can stop it"  
"And why should I believe a word you say?"  
"Well, does the name 'Chara' ring a bell? They're the one who hired us"  
Immediately the fire drained out of Asriel's voice "Ch-Chara..." he whispered. The one who started all of this, and perhaps the only one who could end it.

Seeing the King falter, Lee felt a surge of his confidence return "This Chara was the one who had us kidnap your queen bee, and honestly, I'm almost certain it's a trick to lure you in"  
"H-how so?"  
"Because they told us exactly where to take her"  
"... Where?"  
"I'll take you there, when we get one last order of business done; Payment"  
" **WHAT!?** " The King burst.  
Lee did his best to hide his fear, not entirely succeeding "Simple; we don't work for free"  
"Wha-who- ho- **WHAT!?** " Asriel gibbered, magical flames shooting off from him at random as a whirlwind of emotions swirled within him, surprise, outrage, fear, and disgust "You kidnap my queen, one of the kindest people alive, you put my people at risk, endanger the one person I love the most, you break into my home... **AND YOU EXPECT ME TO PAY YOU!?** " Asriel roared. Without noticing, a flaming Chaos Saber was taking shape in his paw and the paint on the walls was bubbling due to the sheer heat coming off him.

"If you want to save the world, yes"  
"And what about you!? Don't you care at all!?"  
"Of course I do, but I'm not the one whose better half has been taken hostage"  
Asriel felt his claws unsheathe instinctively. He wondered if it wouldn't be better to just beat and burn the information out of the bastard. He wasn't just holding Frisk hostage, if what Lee said was true it was pretty much the whole world.

And in the end, no amount of gold could ever buy him a new Frisk. He took a few deep breaths, like adding coolant to an overheating magical core "Name it..." he hissed.  
Lee blinked a few times, surprised at how suddenly the raging king could calm himself. But now, at least, he had him.  
"Well, I was thinking, how's the national Ebottian treasury looking?"  
"You can't be serious..."  
"What do you care? It's the taxpayer's money, you'll make it back in no time at all"  
"But this is more than just me! This would set us back years! Monsters would lose their homes, have to close their businesses-"  
"But they'll have their lives, and isn't that what's most important? I know how you hero-types think, I know you aren't gonna refuse"  
Asriel grit his teeth, barely managing to keep the rising fires within down. He shook his head with a deep, acquiescing sigh.

"You won't get away with this, human..."  
"So we're in agreement, then?" Lee taunted with a chuckle "Excellent, I have a car outside, we can-"  
"I have to make a call"  
"Hm? Sure, I'll bring the car around. Don't take too long" the human finished, finally waltzing out with a confident swagger.

Left back was Asriel, feeling empty. This had come right out of blue, and would no doubt have consequences, but it was what had to be done. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed in a number, slightly fearful of the outcome.  
"Undyne?"  
"What's up, punk? Wasn't the last concussion enough for you?"  
"No- I mean yes! Yes, it was. I just called because... something important just came up. I... might not be able to make to the battle with the spirits"

"U-Undyne?"  
"You listen here, I'm headed for the door right now, you have about 5 seconds to explain yourself before I kick yours in and give you a piece of my mind!"  
"Undyne, please! It's about Frisk, she's been frisknapped, uh, kidnapped, I mean"  
"WHAT!?"  
"Bu-but I got a lead! It might even be able to end this whole war, but I don't know how long it'll take"  
"... I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I'm coming over"  
"I don't think that's a good Idea. This-"  
"For crying out loud, Asriel! I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard! It's my job to protect people, and I don't care if you're the King of Ebott or the mayor of my ass, you won't stop me from doing my job!"

Asriel's mind raced. He didn't know how Lee and his large friend, Sam might react if the boisterous captain came along, even if she had a point.

Or perhaps, especially, if she had a point. She was the protector of Ebott, and the 2 humans were no doubt a threat to it. An idea formed in his mind.  
"Alright, there is something you can help with, Undyne. Listen close...

* * *

"... and that's pretty much how I ended up becoming queen of monsters and married to the prince of my dreams. Seems like a lifetime ago sometimes but it's only been a scant few years. Funny how that works" Frisk finished retelling the story of their adventures from the past 3 years.

Chara had listened, wide-eyed and completely captivated, now that it had finished a look of reflection and slight regret came over them.  
"Wow... I've really missed out on a lot, haven't I..." they mused "Adventures, terrible dangers, great perils and even greater triumphs... and most of all my little crybaby brother getting married. Huh, imagine that..."  
"He misses you a lot" Frisk interjected "What happened to you was a tragedy, Chara. You and the other human kids. If we-"  
"I'm not like the others" Chara suddenly snapped.  
"What?"  
"I'm not like the other kids. You're just like mom and dad, but you don't have to cuddle me to make me feel better. I know what I am. I accept it. I'm a demon"  
"A... demon? What makes you say that?"

Chara's lips curled into a dire smirk, even as their eyes fell and shadows came over them. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Before I came to the Underground I was always told I was an omen of bad luck, a dark child, a demon. I thought 'screw these tossers, I'll go find other demons to hang out with'. Then, when I found mom and dad they tried to convince me I was actually a human after all... and I almost believed them" A sigh escaped them and they shook their head softly "But I still had so much bile and vengeance inside that I just couldn't let go off, and after what happened to me and Asriel... well, it was a bit of an eye-opener"  
"But, Chara, that doesn't mean you're a demon. It was just-"  
"No, it's fine, as I said, I understand now. Demons always cause misery and despair wherever they go, they burrow into what is good and then tear it apart from the inside. Like how the Dreemurs took me in and I then got Asriel killed. And I didn't even mean to! But that's how demons do..."

They curled a fist in front of them, clenching hard enough that it shook. "But even though I'm a demon and fated to cause nothing but misery, I refuse to bow down and let destiny ream me over. With my Determination and the power of the Void, I can create something new, a new timeline, a better world, a world where even a blasted demon like me can't muck anything up" their hand fell to their side and a look of complete weariness came over Chara "It took so long I almost gave up, but I suppose the injustice of all kept me going more than anything" they looked up at Frisk with eyes that, despite being ghostly, were clearly watering.  
"Aren't kids allowed to have hopes and dreams? Even demon kids? I never wanted any monster to die. I just wanted a world where neither I nor anyone else could hurt them and where we all could be happy"

Something was tearing up inside Frisk. That a young child could become so convinced they were synonymous with suffering and despair that they didn't even believe they were human anymore was almost too much for her "I don't care you try and justify it, Chara. You are a human and the most magnificent child I have ever met" Frisk said.  
"Wh-what?"  
"You're not a demon, and I can't even begin to imagine the suffering you had to go through to think that. And believe me when I say; if I wasn't tied to this three, I would be right down there, with you, giving you the biggest, warmest hug I could"

Chara was taken aback. Their leg and hands twitched as if they were instinctively about to go out and release Frisk, just so she could do just that. They were the spitting image of a lost soul just about to reach out for something they had yearned after for far, far too long. But in the end, Chara restrained themselves.  
"Geez, this is really not how I expected things to go" they said lowly.  
"Chara?"  
"How dare you? I invite you to my Home, have you escorted all the way, at my expense, I tie you to my favorite tree, I find out you have seduced my crybaby brother and then you have the gall to turn my view on humans on its head"  
"I'm... sorry? But you did have me kidnapped"  
"Irrelevant smellypants" Chara scoffed "But you know what? I like you. I think there's a place for you in the new timeline"  
"A new timeline?" Frisk tilted their head.  
"Yup! The greatest ever! We just need Asriel to get here. It's why I had you kidnapped, you were much easier to abduct, and it would lure him right in like a Dreemurr to cinnamon!"  
Frisk nodded. It wasn't really the most devious plan they had ever heard, in truth, barring the frisknapping and tying her to a tree it sounded almost benevolent.  
Yet one question still nagged her.

"But what about this world, then? What about this timeline?"  
At this, Chara merely fixed them with a distant look, shrugged, and turned to walk towards Home. It was a wordless gesture, but it still told Frisk everything.

Chara had no plans for this world.

* * *

 **So, as the first note stated, we're entering the final act. BUT! Don't fret, there's still a few chapters left, and it's not going to go as you might expect...**

 **Until then!**


	17. Where We Came From

**It's been a long journey for all our heroes, a journey that has changed them, for better or worse.**

 **But as this journey nears its end, some of the greatest bumps are fast approaching**.

* * *

Night was setting on Ebott, and yet the street's were busier than they had been all day. The Royal Guard fanned out, escorting monsters to the relative safety of the castle before mustering in the northern fields. The entire guard was present, alongside several ad-hoc monsters. Groups of canines anchored by towering Knight-Knights stood at the ready, and smaller squads of Madjicks roamed between the lines, muttering gibberish to anyone that got too close. All quietly dreading the coming army of spirits come to take their home and very souls.

In a lab not too far away Aphys raced about a large machine. It was a larger version of the soul-extractor Valantis had used during Asriel's Crownquest. One that, theoretically, should be able to capture and hold several hundreds of souls at a time.

If only it worked.

"No no no, the metaphysical spherical containment unit is all set, but the magi-combustion manifolds are all out of whack. Maybe a samophlange inductor...?" The lizard muttered as she frantically pricked, prodded and cooed at the machine as if it was a big baby. "No no, already tried that. Gah, come on Alphys, think, think!"  
"need a hand?" a voice far too relaxed for the coming crisis sounded behind her.  
"Huh? sans?"  
"heard something big was about to go down so thought i'd drop by. maybe i can help; studied under the greatest electrical genius of all time" the skeleton explained, as lackadaisical as ever.  
"The... greatest electrical genius?"  
"yup, sherlock ohms"  
Alphys felt her already dwindling reserves of restraint and calm sink "Ehm, th-thanks, sans, but I think I got it. Ju-just a, heh, a few hiccups in the machinery, that's all"  
"then i don't suppose you'd mind if i stuck around and gave some expert advice, would ya?"  
"Ehm, eh, actually, now isn't really that great. I-I don't, uh, mean to sound, uh, y'know, mean, but you think you could come back another time?"  
"al, if we don't stop those spooks from getting to our shoes, there won't be another time"  
"Our... shoes?"  
"yeah, otherwise they'll eat our soles"

Alphys felt her knees buckle and she barely kept herself from collapsing by grabbing onto a counter.  
"still, quite a mechanical marvel ya got here" sans admitted with an impressed whistle, looking the thing up and down.  
"sans, please, I'm working on something really important. With this, we might be able to turn the battle around without any loses. I know I can do it! I just... I need some peace and quiet" Alphys explained, but the skeleton didn't seem to heed. Instead, his eye-sockets were focused on a rack of faintly glowing magical rods. At least, she presumed he was.  
"Sans? Did you-"  
"you need to reverse those" he interrupted dryly. "otherwise the feedback loop's just gotta cause an explosion"  
"Wh-what?"  
"and those gyro-stabilizers up there" he continued, waving a lazy bony hand at some components above the machine "ya need to put 'em about 56 degrees down, otherwise the whole thing will just tip over when it's half-full"

Alphys recovered from the surprise as best she could and ran the numbers in her head. Didn't really make sense to her, but then again, theoretically... just maybe.  
"How do know?" she asked.  
"eh, used to know a guy that would work on doodads like these, showed me a thing or two" sans shrugged with disinterest. "oh, and that coupler, ya need to use one made of enchanted titanium... and that reployer... and that magi-canister..."  
Alphys stood in complete disbelief for a few moments before finally composing herself, grabbing her notes and writing of all of sans's observations down. The skeleton might be a bit of an oddball, but if there was one thing she knew about him was that it... usually... paid off to heed him.

* * *

For a hired goon, being inconspicuous was of the essence. That meant slow movements, bland clothing, and, as a certain 2 meters tall goat monster found out, small cars.

Already 2 small furrows in the car's roof, courtesy of Asriel's horns, were a testament to the cramped conditions. He would have apologized, but given that the car's driver was responsible for the kidnapping of Frisk, and possibly the economic ruin of monsterkind, he was just about able to hold his tongue.

They were making their way up a hillside on the outskirts of the city, silhouetted against the setting sun. To the north Asriel could just make out the Royal Guard assembling on the fields, ready to meet the incoming spirit horde.  
He felt a pang of shame at the sight. The kings and queens of monsterkind should always be their peoples' foremost protector, yet here he was, driving away with a hired killer.  
'It's for a good cause' he had to remind himself. If Lee was right, this might just lead him to a way to end the war.

"Why so glum, chum? You look about as dark as a midnight thundercloud" the human suddenly, but not unfriendly, asked. Nevertheless, Asriel felt his fingertips tingle as his mere words caused his claws to instinctively unsheathe.  
"Do you seriously have to ask?" Asriel sneered back.  
"You're worried about your boys on the field down there? Come on! Have some faith in yourself! You'll have this whole Chara business wrapped up before dinner and I'll be out of your fur" Lee declared. His hand lifted from the steering wheel, as if he was about to deliver a friendly punch to Asriel's shoulder, but reading the signs on his face, decided against it.

"Oh right, you and the entire royal treasury. This might come as a surprise to someone like you, Lee, but I actually care about people, especially the ones I'm sworn to serve"  
Lee's face scrunched up in a thinking manner as he looked back over Ebott City. "I've always wondered what's it like. Being put in charge of so many people. Most I've ever had is to take care of Sam. You remember him, right? Like a big, dangerous baby. But hundreds of thousands of people? That takes some doing" the human said "Even more so, you had it all handed to you on a silver platter, without your consent I can imagine. What's it like?" he asked.

Asriel grimaced but found himself suddenly perplexed. He wasn't about to open up to this cretin, but this was the first time someone not close to him had asked this kind of question. He didn't feel the usual need to pull his punches or to half-life about it in order to not appear ungrateful.  
"I never really wanted to be king" Asriel sighed.  
"Yeah, I get it. Must be- Wait, what!? Really?" Lee spluttered.  
"Yes, really"  
"Bu-bu- I mean bu-but I know a ton of people who would and have killed to gain even a fraction of the kind of gravitas you have! Are you seriously telling me all the power, glory and authority mean nothing to you?"  
"You're only seeing the shiny side of the coin" Asriel replied with a slow shake of his head. "Try going to bed every night, wondering if you're doing the best you can, try going to an international meeting, knowing that if you mess up your people will suffer, try living with the knowledge that the existence of an entire race rests on you constantly being smart enough to steer them through whatever comes at them and strong enough to protect them if worse comes to worst. In a kingdom, the greatest servant should always be the king and queen, for it is their mandate to serve everyone. Would you kill for that kind of 'power'?" Asriel spat the last word with slight contempt.  
Lee opened his mouth to answer but stopped as if reconsidering.  
"I... guess I never really thought about it like that" he meekly admitted.

"I would have been happy enough with a quiet life with Frisk, my friends and family" Asriel sighed after a while "But that's not what the stars held for me... but don't think for a second that means I don't take my responsibility seriously. I would do anything to keep my people safe and anyone that seeks to harm monsterkind will have to answer to me, sooner or later" he finished, slowly turning his head towards Lee.  
The human had to gulp at the ominous words "D-duly noted, your highness" he said.

* * *

"Oi! Frisky!"  
Frisk stirred awake. Had she fallen asleep? Perhaps there was a kind of peaceful atmosphere around old Home, even with all the spirits around.  
"Hey, you there sleepyhead?"  
Frisk opened her eyes to the voice. Chara, of course, holding a bottle.  
"Wha-wut?" Frisk slurred tiredly.  
"Great Goatsby! How can you fall asleep at a time like this with me, the daring and dangerous Chara around!?"  
"Well, I was thinking of you. A nice and pretty image to drift off to"  
"Charmer..." Chara huffed and sat down cross-legged, placing the bottle between the 2. "Say, I wanna play a game while we wait, and you're the only around for miles with a pulse and a fully functioning brain. Ever heard of 'spin the bottle'?"  
"Does a Migosp smell like lemon?"  
"Huh? Uh, yes"  
"That's your answer, but don't we need more players?"  
"I guess" Chara sighed "Just a moment, I'll get some dregs to fill the seats"

Frisk tilted her head in an inquisitive manner as Chara slowly raised their left arm. Their fingers trembled, their eyes were closed and there was a look of deep concentration on their face. A pale, red light began to glow from within Chara's ghostly form and Frisk feel a hint of Determination in the air.  
Chara's fingers slowly clenched into a fist and from out of the wall to their left the spirit of a wide-eyed and frantic looking woman clad in a medieval-looking noble gown appeared. Her whole body was twitching as if she was trying to escape an invisible net, but despite her efforts, she hovered over to the 2 human children and sat down beside them.

Chara repeated the gesture to their right. This time the spirit of a much more modern-looking man was summoned, dressed in a fine business suit that was stretched across a copious gut. As he sat down Chara let out a sigh of effort.  
"What did you do to them?" Frisk asked, looking back and forth at the new arrivals.  
"Just a little trick I learned while being a spook. With enough Determination, you can force other souls to do your bidding. Subsume their will and whatnot. Not sure if it works on living people, though"  
Frisk felt a knot of bile in their stomach. She hadn't really considered if her Determination could have any intrinsic malevolent abilities.  
"Now, enough stalling. Let's play!" Chara declared. The ghostly child reached and spun the bottle with great vigor, almost hard enough to send it careening off to the side. But it held fast, and slowly came to a stop, pointed at the ghostly lady, to Chara dismay, if their groan was anything to go by.  
"See, this was what I feared. I don't know about you but I really don't care much for these nincompoops" They said. "Still, might as well make the best of it. So, what'll it be? Truth or Dare?"

"Pl-please! Let me go at once! Don't you know who I am!?" The ghostly lady gibbered. Chara was evidently unimpressed as they dragged a hand across their face tiredly. "Alright, listen you 2" they began, addressing the ghostly adults "I've gone through hell and high water to get ol'Frisky here down with me, and I'll be damned if I let 2 sad remnants of some rotten humans spoil our fun. So here's the deal; you be good and play along, then I'll let you go, hm?"  
The ghostly man nodded his reluctant agreement, but the lady didn't seem to bite. Her face flushed with anger and she drew breath to protest.  
Just before she could Chara raised her hand again, aimed towards the lady's head. Immediately, all anger drained from her and she settled down into a docile and calm posture.  
"You can control their emotions as well?" Frisk asked, doing her best to hide her revulsion.  
"Of course. Determination is the strength to control one's fate and destiny, Frisk. These louts didn't have what it took to control their own – it's as easy a cinnamon pie to reach out and take control yourself" Chara explained "Now, your pompousness, you want to go for Truth, right?"  
"Y-yes, truth..." the ghostly lady droned without emotion.  
"Right... how did you die?" Chara asked.  
"Chara! You can't just force someone to tell you something so personal!" Frisk protested.  
"I... choked on an undercooked artichoke at a great gala. My servants were too afraid to help me, for fear of my wrath" the lady droned, unperturbed by Frisk's outburst.

The First Child flashed the Last Child a winning smile "I just did, but don't feel too bad, Frisky, only evil people go to the Void upon death. They deserve it"  
"No one deserves something like that, Chara" Frisk said through gritted teeth.  
The First Child merely shrugged before reaching down and spinning the bottle again, this time coming to rest pointed at Chara.

* * *

"So this is where you brought Frisk? The Underground?" Asriel asked out loud. Already sure of the answer.  
"Yup, brought her nice and bound to a little ghostly kid. First time I've ever worked for someone post-mortem, but it worked around" Lee answered, moving up beside him in the shadow of the entrance of The Underground.

The Underground had been re-sealed roughly a year ago, when Asgore had gotten word about The Prophet's vision of doom regarding the return of Chara and the Void they'd bring with them. Reasoning they'd breach through where they were buried, they had sealed the entrance once again to prevent them from getting out.  
But now it appeared the Barrier had been shattered once again.

"And you're certain they're still here? It's a big place" Asriel posed.  
"Well, why don't we ask Sam?"  
As if on cue, the large individual Asriel remembered from his Crownquest marched out from a nearby shrubbery "Hey boss! Ya made it" Sam beamed "And, well I'll be a monkey's uncle, is that the Emperor of Ebott!?"  
"'King'" Lee corrected.  
"Yeah, queen"  
Lee sighed "Anyway, did you do what I asked?"  
"Sure did! Watched over the place like an eagle-eyed hawk! Haven't seen hide nor hair'o anyone, save a pair of love-making cat monsters, heh"  
"Right..." Lee trailed off, turning to face Asriel "Well, I guess your 2 prospects are still down there then. Best of luck to ya, hero"  
Asriel raised an incredulous eyebrow back at him "You're not coming with?"  
"Gods no, we're not setting foot in that hellhole. But don't worry, we'll be waiting for ya right here. Once you come traipsing out with your queen bee, we can finalize our deal"  
"You mean I hand you over my entire Kingdom's wealth?"  
The human flashed him a wolfish grin "Exactly"

Asriel felt his choler rise once again, but as he spotted a quick flash of a red plume behind the humans it was gone in an instant, replaced by a rising sense of vindication. He returned the grin right back at the human.  
"You know, you're not as smart as you think you are, Lee"  
"Pardon?" he answered, taken aback.  
"You've obviously done your homework on me, but you don't seem to have learned much. Anyone who messes with my family or my people gets their comeuppance. The King Of Humans, The Old Captain of The Royal Guard, even a human with prophetic visions have tried... and we're still here"  
"Wha-"  
"So what on earth gave you the idea you 2 would get away with kidnapping my queen and extorting my people?"  
"Wh-what are you talking about!?"  
"That" Asriel said and lazily raised to point at something behind the human.

He spun around, just in time to take the back, blunt end of one of Undyne's thrown spears face-on hard enough to send him careening unto his back.  
"Your comeuppance"  
Sam was so surprised at the sudden event all he could manage was a drooling "Wha' happun'?" before an armored fish warrior appeared at his back, threw him to the ground and forced a pair of magical cuffs around his wrists.  
Lee tried dizzily and clumsily to get to his feet but only got to his knees before a sudden pressure on his throat made him stop. He looked down, finding it to be the end of a quarterstaff and, following it up, found it wielded by Asriel who had procured it from beneath his cloak.  
"Who-whe-What are you doing!? We had a deal!" The human spluttered.  
"We had. But I also said I would do anything to protect my people"  
"Bu- you can't do this!"  
"Kidnapping, extortion on a national scale, threats" Asriel counted off with his claws "And if we count our clash 4 years ago into it; attempted murder, not just of me, but also one of my friends. I think I got more than enough reason to have you both locked up" he looked up at an approaching figure "Wouldn't you say, Undyne?"  
"Sounds about right" The captain agreed, followed by Doggamy and Doggaresa, holding the captured Sam at spear-point. "The lock-ups' been fellin' a bit quiet lately, would do it great with a few more visitors. These 2 scum-of-the-earth would do just fine"

Lee's eyes darted back and forth between the king, the captain and his captured friend, lips twitching in barely concealed indignation before, at last, acceptance came over him, heralded by a cold laugh "I remember a time, a burning building, fists flying, and you, king goody two-shoes, asking if we still couldn't be friends" Something like impressiveness came over him "You've changed a lot in the past few years, you know"  
"And you haven't changed a bit" Asriel growled back.  
"Alright, enough foreplay you 2, get these jerkwads outta here" Undyne ordered, answered by an affirmative bark by the canine soldiers.

A few moments passed in silence, with nothing but the wind rustling the plume on Undyne's helmet and Asriel's robes and fur. He was facing the entrance to The Underground, remembering the last time went through there.  
"As your captain and bodyguard, I feel it is my duty to tell you it's an extremely moronic idea to go in alone, not knowing what you'll face" Undyne quietly interjected.  
"I know"  
"Alright, then let's try this; as your friend, I feel it is my duty to tell you it's an extremely moronic idea to go in alone, not knowing what you'll face"  
"If there is even the slightest chance it might send the void spirits back, then I have to go"

Undyne was silent for a few moments before letting out a soft chuckle. She shook her head "I don't know what it is with you Dreemurrs. There's just something in your genes that make you act all heroic like. Guess that's why you're the boss"  
"I don't know whether it's a curse or a blessing" Asriel shrugged with a small smile. "Undyne, I leave the defense of Ebott to you. Do what you can to minimize casualties"  
"So, do my job. Got it"  
Asriel's face fell a bit, shadows drawing over his eyes as he said his next few words.  
"And... if I take too long and you have no other choice...

"... You have my permission to release the Amalgam Alpha..."

* * *

 **Bit of a short one, this one, but fear not, the next few chapters should up the ante by quite a margin...**


	18. Into the Underground

**So, summers' over and it's back to school. Ironically this might mean I'll finally be able to speed things up a bit. Downtime on the train, recess** **and whatnot.**

 **But enough about that! Let's get into it**.

* * *

Frisk felt a chill run down her back at the scene in front of her, only made worse by the sensations of her hands being tied around a tree behind her back. 2 ghosts sat at either side of her, an ancient looking noblewoman to her right, and a more modernly dressed businessman to her left. The real cause for concern, however, was the spirit of the First Child, Chara, sitting in front of her with a bottle pointed at them, the latest result of their game of 'spin the bottle'.  
"Whelp, that came around sooner than expected" Chara hummed, fixing frisk with an expectant look "There's been enough jaw-jacking already. I go with Dare"

Frisk glanced over at the 2 other guests as if looking for help with escaping. The noblewoman sat with a thousand yard stare, still reeling from Chara's momentary usurpation of their soul, while the businessman looked like he had seen a ghost, completely out of it. No help from them. She just needed a way to escape in case Chara lost their temper.  
"In that case, I Dare you to... untie me fro this tree" Frisk prompted, eliciting a suspicious eyebrow from the First Child "Oh come on, we're deep in the Underground with hundreds of void spirits around us, it's not like I have anywhere to flee to" Frisk tried to reassure.  
"If you're not going anywhere why not just stay tied, then?" Chara replied.  
"Well, if that's how you're going to be I Dare you to tie yourself up" Frisk said with a flirtatious wink.

The effect was immediate. With a shudder, Chara got to their feet and moved towards Frisk "Fine" they grunted.  
"What a shame. Wouldn't have minded seeing you tied up"  
"How in the world did my timid brother end up with someone like you. I half expected you to dare me to get undressed" Chara mused.  
"Well, better hope the bottle doesn't land on you again"  
Chara shuddered again but even standing behind her, Frisk could just barely see how Chara's opaque ghost form took on a slight pinkish hue.  
The bindings on her hands became tight, then, with a tug, came off. While she massaged her wrists the First Child returned to her place in front of the bottle. "I'm starting to suspect I got more than I bargained for with this game" they whispered under their breath.  
"I don't know, I think it was a great idea" Frisk lightly raised her hands as if taunting with how they were now untied.

Wordlessly, Chara reached down and spun the bottle again, slower and more deliberate this time, as if they had tried to calculate where it would land. As it slowed down near the ghostly noblewoman, a look of victory crept unto Chara's face – just a bit more and it would land on Frisk. Alas, the bottle stopped short, pointing in between the noblewoman and Frisk. She looked over, expecting to find nothing but just as she heard Chara's groan of frustration she spotted what looked like a strange, ghostly temmie in the corner of the room. It wore a black ninja outfit with 2 katanas duck taped to its sides. The eyes were dark and seeped a black liquid but it still seemed overall... temmie-like.  
"T3m seez bOttlE!? Shakings go full throttle!" it squeaked, voice changing from temmie to nearly demonic. As it did, it started shaking so much Frisk could feel the vibrations in the cavern floor.

"Yup... definitely more than I bargained for" Chara sighed.

* * *

Years ago, the tunnel in which The Barrier was located had been filled with monsters excited to see the surface and the sun, many for the first time. Asriel could almost hear the jubilant shouts of happiness as he walked in that same place. He hadn't been there himself, at the time, he had retreated back to where it had all begun, to wait out his final minutes as a true monster alone. But when he finally did exit the tunnel, courtesy of Frisk's soul and borne on the shoulders of his dad he imagined he had been far happier than anyone else that day.

Now, it was not quite as happy. When he put his ears to it, he could still hear faint shouting and screaming, but clearly not of the happy variety. Anger, hunger, and frustration – the spirits of the void were all around him, trapped in the walls and just out of sight. Something was holding them back.

He could easily guess what, or more precisely, who.

He exited out the tunnel and into another den of memories; most good with only one very, very bad.  
New Home.

As his feet touched the overgrown grass of the old throne room, painful nostalgia hit him like the makeshift weapons of a village of confused humans screaming bloody murder. This was where he had died and where Flowey had resurfaced. The start of a nightmare spanning several timelines, many laid to waste and despair at his own paws, or rather, stems.  
"They should make a movie about us one day. This spot carries a lot of history" Flowey said so suddenly Asriel didn't recognize his voice immediately. "Imagine it; rain is pouring down, thunder in the distance. We zoom up on a patch of dirt and slowly we see yours truly, Flowey the Flower, rising from the grave of his past self, letting out a mighty roar of victory at his defiance of death itself!  
"... If I recall, my first moments as you were of utter confusion, panic, and tears"  
"Oh, fine, we can do a dusty, boring documentary if you lack the imagination for a little bit of creative embellishment, but I want dibs on the titles! I can see it already; Flowey: Rise of Evil! The Underground: Revelations! Or, or, uh, The Dreemurr Chronicles! How about that?"  
"Let's make sure the world survives to see such a move first"  
"Fine, but let's make one thing clear; We're NOT having that shellhead Mettaton playing us!"  
"Oh, absolutely 100% agreed!" Asriel fired off, somewhat taken aback at his outburst, feeling a slight tinge of regret and making a mental note to see if he couldn't get Mettaton another role if they ever made such a movie.

He shook his head and quickly moved on, up the stairs and into the main foyer of the living space in New Home. This time around the nostalgia was more a soothing balm of what had been. He looked right, into the dusty living room, imagining him and Chara, side by side at the dining table, hands and paws scribbling eagerly on paper, hard at work seeing who could draw up the coolest monster, human, or superhero.

If only he hadn't been so bad at names.

A small iron chain barred the door, laden with a 'No Entry' sign, a reminder that just weeks ago, New Home had been a museum exhibit showcasing how the royal family had lived before The Barrier been shattered.  
It made him feel old and perhaps he was, all things considered. Not many have tried living through several timelines before even reaching the age of 23, much less having tried dying. Not something he would recommend.

He briefly glanced to his left, down the corridor leading to his, Chara's and his parent's room, all turned into yet more exhibits like ancient history, the history of his family, awash with dust and blood.

Without a word he exited out, passing the tree in the garden and down with the elevator, still humming and kept alive by latent magical power, all supplied by the machine in the colossal, cavernous room the elevator led him to. The Core.

He remembered once how he and Chara had learned the rumor about The Core from a group of gossiping classmates while in school. How the Royal Scientist had fallen into the super-massive nexus of magical of energy within, disintegrating his body but leaving his soul intact, and that if you wandered the place at night you could still hear his scream as he plummeted to his doom, or maybe even see his ghost.

Chara had scoffed at it, saying that 'ghosts don't exist' earning themselves a few disapproving looks from their more spectral classmates. One of the few times his otherwise always cool and collected sibling had been made a laughing stock, merely by a slip of the tongue, but nevertheless a fond memory. Even more so as they had sneaked out that same night to test the rumor. They hadn't found any bodiless Royal Scientist, but they did happen upon a drunk Madjik riding upon a Final Froggit, gibbering it's nonsense as it tried to chase them down, which was almost even scarier.

With his head full of memories being played out Asriel walked on, through the caves where the roof twinkled like stars, past the dump where for a long time the only connection to the human world could be found in the form of their trash, past the secluded temmie village previously only inhabited by a few tenacious remnants that refused to abandon "H0ly gROund" as they called it where "De H3ero frIsk" had walked, but even they had thankfully agreed to leave once they found out about the Void Spirits. That, and a generous bribe of Temmie Flakes from the Royal Treasury.

He passed through Waterfall, taking a short detour to see the ruins of Undyne's burnt down house. The story of how Frisk and Papyrus had visited the Captain at the same time, all the while Undyne was out for the human, was one that was told pretty much every time the gang was together. He felt a pang of good-natured regret at not having seen it; Papyrus rolling through the window, Undyne trying to teach Frisk how to cook, the Captain's final flourish and attempt at taking the human's soul, but then being subdued, as everyone did, by Frisk's mercy.

And then her house burned down. A detail that even today made the Captain grumble.

Despite the situation Asriel found himself in, he smiled widely. Moments and memories like this were what he fighting to protect. It was something he had to hold onto, for knowing that it would all be for nothing if he failed today was almost too much to bear.

He continued his walk through the Underground. As he neared his goal the memories slowly gave way to more present talks. What should he say once he met his lost sibling? Should he be angry they coerced a pair of goons to kidnap Frisk?  
No. Few people had suffered as much as Chara. They were bound to be frustrated, angry, prone to irrational decisions. He just needed to talk to them, to reconnect, then...  
His thoughts trailed off as he noticed something out of the ordinary without really knowing what. He found himself in the middle of Snowdin Village, snow beneath his feet and creaky, abandoned houses all around him, nothing unexpected really, and yet...

The lights inside Grilby's were on he finally realized, feeling a bit dumb. But that couldn't be, the Underground had been flooded with Void Spirits for weeks and everyone had left before then, Grilby amongst then, and he wasn't the sort to let the lights on.

Drawn by curiosity, Asriel pushed the door open, greeted by a dusty barroom with the chairs up on the tables, cobwebs in the corners and floorboards creaking, all what one would expect from a long-abandoned Grill & Bar.  
The one exception being the lone figure up at the bar, back turned.  
"took ya long enough, what, goat lost?"

* * *

As Undyne entered into Ebott City, her 2 prisoners visibly perked up, perhaps emboldened by the myriad possible escape routes opening up around them. Thankfully, Dogamy and Dogaressa were aware enough to notice it and both of them stepped closer to the 2 human goons, pointing their halberds to discourage any breakout attempt.

"Say, Cap, how's the clink here in Ebott? Got a good view of the city? Running water? Any human-size cells?" Lee suddenly asked. Both of them had been quiet throughout the walk to the city, but with the tense atmosphere of the coming battle, Undyne found herself almost happy for some banter.  
"Too good for the likes of you. If I had my way I'd have locked the both of you in the prison cellar and have our resident spider merchant sic her pets on you. But no, our bleddin' heart king said to lock you until you can start workin' off your debt to society" Undyne replied coldly.  
"So, he's still a gentlegoat, even under that tough, brooding facade..." The human mused, earning him a curious glance from Undyne. He looked almost insulted when he noticed.  
"What, really? He never told you about us? His Crownquest, Sam and me, we damn near killed him at one point!"  
"But then he damn near killed us right back" Sam sulked at his side.  
"I even shot him at one point! God knows how he survived that, maybe that human soul he had, b-but it's true! I shot him"  
"Really? Hmm, I think he glossed over that encounter when he told us about his Crownquest, probably wasn't so important to him. And besides, do ya really wanna admit to something like that while in my custody?" Undyne dismissed, hiding a coy smile underneath his helmet at the indignified look on the human. In truth, Asriel had told them about the 2 human assassins who had fought him and Monster Kid in the middle of a burning apartment, her favorite part of his Crownquest, aside from the climax with Valantis.

"I can't believe he's brushed us off like that..." Lee hissed in disbelief. Sam asked something about the food in the jail, stating he had a peanut allergy and that salad made him nervous, but before she could answer Lee's head suddenly shot up.  
"My Cellphone! I recorded our fight! You don't believe then just take a look at that!" He fired off.  
"What?" Both Sam and Undyne asked in unison.  
"I recorded the fight you flippin' tin tuna! Didn't you- *Gak!*" A swift strike by the back end of Undyne's spear into the human's ribs sent him to his knees, gasping for breath.  
Despite the outburst, Undyne found herself intrigued. She had trained the young king but she had never really seen him fight for his life while still needing to exercise restraint due to his human soul. A good chance to show the payoff of her work.  
"Show me" she ordered.  
"In- in my pocket" Lee gasped, standing back up and gesturing to his manacled hands. Doggamy stepped in, fishing it up and handing it back to the human.  
The Captain found herself almost giddy. To have one of her favorite scenes played out in real-time would be a treat. Even better, if she could confiscate it after locking the humans up she could even show Alphys it.

"Here" The human flatly offered, handing her the phone. There was no video on the display, only a black screen with the words "Wolf "  
Before she could ask what the deal was, an ear-splitting chorus of wolf howls sudden exploded from the phone loud enough to make her drop it and flinch back.  
"Now, Sammy! Give 'er the business end!" Lee barked. Still dazed, Undyne could do nothing to stop the brutish human from swinging his manacled fists at her, clubbing her to the ground in a single take. As she fell, she saw Dogamy and Dogaressa, heads thrown back joining in on the howling, completely enchanted by the primal pack gesture with a great "AWOOOO!"

The pitter-patter of running feet told her the obvious; the human goons had run off. Her helmet had taken the worst off the beating and in truth, there was nothing stopping her from getting back up and going after them. But, embarrassingly enough, they had gotten the drop on her, running after them would almost make it worse, besides, their manacles were magical – almost unbreakable without the key and easily tracked. Once they didn't have an army of angry, dead monster and human souls at their door she could spare a few guards to track them down.

"Alright, enough you 2" she grunted after getting up, nudging an elbow into her canine guards  
"AWOO- huh? Cap-captain Undyne! The prisoners are gone!" Dogamy yelped.  
"And who said canines have bad eyesight..." Undyne sighed "Forget about the humans. We have bigger fish to fry" with a turn, and with slightly bruised pride, she marched herself and her guards towards the rest of her monsters, assembling on the fields to meet the coming storm.

* * *

"well, you're just gonna stand there or what? y'know how hard i worked warming up this seat for ya? come on in, let's chat" sans offered, lightly patting the bar seat beside him, still with his back turned.

Asriel could only stare dumbfounded for a moment at finding the skeleton at his old watering hole, deep into what was supposed to be a void-infested Underground.  
"Sans, how did you... no, you know what? I shouldn't even be surprised at this point" he sighed dejectedly.  
"atta boy, now get up here. place used to be a lot livelier but the new neighbors have been murder on the coziness factor"  
"So I see, barely a skeleton crew left" Asriel replied, earning him a small chuckle from the skeleton. He hesitated for a moment, every second brought the army of void spirits closer to Ebott, but experience had taught him that if sans wanted to talk, it was usually important.

Didn't make it much easier waiting for the skeleton to take a big bite out of what looked like a weeks-old burger before washing it down with an equally big swig of ketchup.  
"so, this is the end of the line" he finally began, punctuated by a dry burp.  
"In one way or another" Asriel shrugged "Either I convince Chara to stop this... or we all get taken by the Void"  
"this 'chara', they mean a lot to ya?"  
"In ways I can't really describe, yes"  
"ya care about them?"  
"Yes, I'd say so"  
"do ya love them?"  
"What? I... I don't know. I guess. sans, what's the point of this?"  
"i'm just making sure you're gonna make the right choice" sans cut in, taking another swig of the ketchup.  
"'cuz something tells me this chara is gonna make you an offer you'll be mighty tempted to take, but no matter what it is, you mustn't sacrifice the future for the sake of the past, you understand?"  
"I'm not sure I do, honestly. What choice?" Asriel shrugged. Sans glanced over at him, then trailed his eyesockets down in what almost looked like a somber expression "y'know, when undyne called for the guard to assemble to fight off these ghosts papy was the first one out the door. i convinced him to stay put, told him that his pet rocks needed some tlc. he's still at home, taking care of 'em, not knowing all that stands between him and a whole world of hurt is forlorn hope" another swig was taken "and let's be honest, azzy, even with alphys's new doomsday device there's no way we can stop 'em. i'm not about to let some angry old farts welcome papy into their club. i'd rather... take care of him myself 'fore that happens" The statement, and knowing whom it came from, made Asriel's dust run cold, compounded even more as a set of empty eyesockets settled on him, underlined by sans's unfailing grin  
"so please, be a pal and don't make me need to get out of this chair. if not for mine or for papy's sake then for undyne or your parents. lotta people gonna have a bad time once those spooks get through to the city and it's not gonna end, ever"

"I know what's at stake, sans. I don't know what I'll be walking into but I promise I'll do whatever it takes" Asriel tried to reassure.  
"huh, i'd have expected more confidence from the 'dragon of ebott'"  
"Tsk, it's such a stupid nickname, title, whatever"  
"but ya got it for a reason, buddy. look, i understand this is a lot to put on you. if it was papy down there doing all this void stuff and me having to stop him? i don't know what i'd do - probably drum up some half-baked excuse to do nothing then clap myself on the back going 'whelp, ya did what ya could, ol' sansy' as i watch the world coming to an end" the skeleton chuckled half-heartedly "but that's not you. there's just something about you dreemurrs, like ya just cant ever take the easy way out, always gotta do the right thing, no matter how bad it sucks. i never really trusted you, truth be told, but you're a stronger person than i ever was. if anyone can do this, it's you and frisky"

"Wow, sans, I... thanks for the vote of confidence, I-"  
"yeah yeah yeah, tell ya what, you pull this of i'll consider us even" sans cut in, calmly placing a bony hand on the king's shoulder "now, go put an end to this nightmare, willya? nights' gone on for too long already"

Asriel's wordless reply was a calm smile and a reciprocating of the skeleton's gesture, giving him a small clap on the shoulder before heading for the door. An equal parts agreement and an equal parts farewell.

"I'm rooting for ya, kid. but all bets are off..."

* * *

 **Next chapter should be the start of the final climax and it's going to be a doozy! See ya then!**


	19. Reunions, Good and Bad

**Well, ain't that a hoot. I said these might come out a bit faster and they end up coming out later. On the other hand we got a long one this time.**  
 **And it's not going to be pretty...**

* * *

Undyne slashed out with her spear, cutting a group of void spirits down, and bisecting a trio more on the return swing, briefly buffeting her with screams of frustration as her magical weapon caused their ghostly forms to vaporize. Another flurry of slashes bought her enough breathing room to take a look up and down the line of Royal Guard at her sides. Everywhere it was the same story; a front of canine and feline guardsmen bolstered here and there by elephant- and mammoth-like monsters, as well as a few knight-knights. Behind them stood groups of Madjicks and other ranged monsters raining magical projectiles down on the spirits. To the untrained eye, it was a slaughter, if blood and dustless. The void spirits practically threw themselves at the guards, so intent on claiming and consuming the souls within them that they could spare no thought to their own preservation, and so they fell in droves. There was barely any need for skill on the guard's part, merely swinging their magical weapons back and forth was enough to get most of them. But it would never be enough.

Looking up at the field in front of her, it was easy to see why this was ultimately a lost cause. Where there had once been a green and lustrous meadow was now a sea of ghostly white and gray. A factor of 586-to-1, Alphys had claimed.  
Undyne drowned her apprehension with cold Determination. Running, and thus leaving Ebott and the rest of monsterkind at the mercy of the spirits was out of the question. All they could do was stand and fight until Asriel and Frisk, hopefully, could end the madness.  
"Wahaha!" a whopping laugh suddenly sounded behind her.  
"Huh? That noise, that maniacal laugh. Could it be...?" Undyne mused turning to face a retired, but no less well-known legend amongst the Royal Guard, clad in old but well-maintained guard armor that seemed a few sizes too large and dragging the weapon behind him that had partly earned him his nickname; The Hammer of Justice.  
"Gerson!? What are you doing here?"  
"Woah there, lassie. Heard our boys and girls in uniform were risking their necks for the rest of us, figured it was about time I polished off me ol' work toll here"  
"Wha- are you sure? This isn't exactly-"  
"''course I'm sure! Better that an old hardshell like me buys the farm than any of these younglings" he said, gesturing his hammer at the row of guardmonsters fending off the spirits "Ah, but where are my manners. Protocol and all that" Gerson quipped giving a crisp salute "Gerson, Hammer of Justice, at your service, cap" he barked more proudly than any of her own guardmonsters.  
Undyne was silently glad she was wearing a helm, otherwise, the fangirling glee on her face would easily give away her hype. Gerson was a legend amongst the guard, to the point that he had even guest-starred in an Ebott-produced anime once. Seeing him in action live was a chance too good to pass up.

"Fine, let's see if you can keep up, old timer. Last to get 100 is a Jerry-friend" she fired off in good-nature before running back into the fray, closely followed by Gerson, quietly chuckling and shaking his head "Youngling these days, no respect. Whelp, guess I just gotta teach it to ya then"

* * *

Frisk and Chara's fateful game of Spin the Bottle was at an end. After finally managing to pacify an out-of-control Temmienator, leaving it bound and gagged at the side of the room, the contestants had sat down for one last spin. One that had ended with it pointed at Frisk once more.

She glanced up at the ghostly human ahead of her. Chara had wanted this outcome ever since they began, but instead of the expected excitement, they instead showed a deep thoughtfulness.

"I... choose Truth" Frisk said, gaining a small acknowledging nod from Chara. They sat up more straight, opened their mouth as if to ask their question, but then thought better of it, almost deflating with a tired chuckle.  
"You know, you can usually tell a lot about a person just by looking at their soul. When all your sins are bared to see, it's easy to get a decent impression of one. But you... your soul barely had a stain. You're like a blank slate, I just can't figure you out" Chara said, sounding more impressed and amazed than annoyed "I have a hard time believing any human can be as innocent as you... but maybe it really is as simple. Maybe you really are just a human as Determined as it is possible to do good. Guess that's why you and my brother are so drawn to each other" they said, punctuated by a good-natured smile.

"So, Truth" they piped up again, rubbing their hands. Setting their piercing, ghostly eyes straight unto Frisk "What... are you going to name it?"  
Frisk tilted her head sideways, looking like one big question mark "Pardon? Name what?"  
"Oh come one, what do you think I mean?" Chara chuckled, lightly slapping their knee "You didn't think I'd notice the little, 'sprout' on your soul when I drew it out? Heh, it's strange, it's only natural but that my brother would ever go and do the 'thing' still blows my mind" Chara finished, shaking her head.

Frisk wasn't really feeling the relaxed atmosphere. She doubted Chara would do anything to harm her or the one inside her, but even the slightest hint of a possibility that they might was enough to make cold sweat run down her back. As long as nobody knew, there was no threat.  
But now, somebody did know.

"So, are you going to answer me or not?" Chara asked impatiently "I hope you didn't let Asriel pick the name. Take it from me, but the Dreemurr's aren't that good a naming, goodness me"  
Frisk bit her lip in slight embarrassment "Actually... that's the case. I haven't told him. Haven't told anyone in fact"  
"What, really!?" Chara burst, almost springing to their feet.  
"I wanted to! The day all this started, when we were going to the convention center. I planned to tell him after dad's speech, but then..."  
"Ouch, talk about bad timing. Guess it's kind of my bad, then" Chara whispered somewhat sheepishly "And, uhh, I'm sorry about what happened with dad. I tried to get him out of the Void, but, well, I can barely give myself physical form, much less someone else. I'm glad you got him out" they said with a serene sincerity Frisk couldn't help but be calmed by.  
"And hey, if all goes according to plan you'll have The Perfect World in which to raise your little one. You, Azzy, mom and dad, all your friends, without a care in world" the same serenity was there and despite the promising offer, Frisk couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt at it all.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised Azzy found someone as unique as you, Frisky. When we went to school together, back before our little, eh, accident, there was a yearly school ball to celebrate the end of the semester. Can you guess who was the most popular pick for the girls?"  
Frisk nodded "Who wouldn't want to dance with a prince?"  
"Exactly! He always choose to dance with me, but there were no end to the letters and invitations" They reached behind, producing a magazine that Frisk instantly recognized "And, I'd imagine, it's no less different nowadays" Chara mused, tossing the magazine holding Asriel's photoshoot down on the floor between them, then opened on a page with him in nothing but shorts, eating a piece of pie with the title "DINE LIKE A PRINCE! HOW DOES THE HEIR MAINTAIN HIS ROYAL PHYSIQUE? (SPOILER: BETTER STOCK UP ON CINAMMON AND SNAILS!)"

"Don't let him see you with that. He'll just clamp up and glow red. Always does" Frisk quipped.  
Chara answered with a deep, heartfelt laugh "Oh, I bet he would. I'm amazed he would ever do something like this! Whenever we had presentations in school he would always stammer and stutter his way through it. He would even cry if it got especially bad, cutest thing ever" Chara said with a glint of fond memories in their eyes "But... he sure has grown since that time. Wouldn't have thought being a prince and saving the world would leave you enough time for the gym"  
"Undyne Makes the time" Frisk replied somewhat direly.  
Chara huffed a small laugh before turning around, facing Home "Won't be long now, till we'll finally see each other again"

* * *

Home itself was almost the spitting image of New Home; same layout, same color of paint on the walls, same homely feel to it. But in truth, Asriel had only faint memories of the place. He had been born here, but must of his early childhood had been at New Home. The same air of nostalgia that had clung to it wasn't nearly as strong here, with one clear exception; the tree on the front lawn.

He stepped out the front entrance, witness to a sight he would never have thought he would get to experience; Frisk, sitting casually in front of the tree, giving him a quick nod of greeting as if it was the most natural thing in the world, a ghostly temmie clad in a ninja garb bound and gagged in one corner of the room, shaking heavily.

But most striking of all was the sight of his departed sibling, without color and as transparent as the other void spirits, clear and present, with a look of happy reunion on their face mirroring the one he felt in his soul  
"Ch... Chara...?" He whispered. Despite everything he had been told and suspected, actually finding them after all this time made his limbs feels like jelly and his mind spin. The last time he had seen them they had been a deathly pale, wizened thing, suffering from their self-imposed poisoning. That they were now a ghost seemed like a natural progression, but he paid it no mind. Only one thing mattered now.

"Heeeey Azzy!" Chara waved. He took a step further, the memories of all the good times spent with them flooding through his head. Another step. Then he broke into a run.

Chara followed suit, laughing heartedly as they were scooped up in a Dreemurr-fashioned hug. Even being a ghost they had just enough substance to enjoy it all.  
"...Stars, I never thought... I'd see you again" Asriel half-cried, half-laughed, burying his muzzle in their shoulder "I'm so happy"  
"Me too, brother. I missed you so much" Chara sighed in absolute contentment "I'm sorry about everything, Azzy. I took you, mom and dad for granted, I couldn't let go of my pettiness..."  
"I forgive you, always" Asriel said with teary eyes, tightening his hug as he did.  
"I'm... so glad to hear you say that. I was so worried about what you'd think of me, after all this time" Chara said, almost a teary whimper.

For a few, heartfelt moments, the only sound in the garden of Home was a mix of laughter and sniffles, the sounds that only a long-awaited reunion of 2 siblings that had literally died together could make.

"It's alright now, Chara"  
"I know, I have so much to show you" Chara replied.  
Well-meaning as they may have been, there was an ominous hint in their words that made Asriel crack an eyelid. He spotted Frisk, still sitting down, smiling gracefully at the reunion in front of her, but as their eyes met he spotted a faint warning in her.

They slowly pulled apart, with Asriel kneeling down so he could be at face-level with Chara, the human having retained their child-size in death.  
"Wha- what do you want to show us?" he asked.  
The First Child smiled widely and clasped their hands together "My, I don't even know where to begin! I just know you'll love it! Here, ahh, uhh, h-hold on, it's better if I show you" Chara quickly rattled off before stepping aside and reaching their hands into the air in front of them. Asriel could feel a surge Determination coming from them.

"Hey, you alright?" a gentle voice, Frisk, suddenly asked him, taking his attention away from Chara "Heh, shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one that got kidnapped after all"  
"Nah, I don't see it like that. More like a 'forced date'. Your sibling is an... interesting person" Frisk mused.  
"Understatement of the year... Chara was everything I wanted to be; brave, outspoken, not afraid to get down to business" Asriel rattled off in rapt adoration.  
Frisk couldn't help but show an amazed smile "Still, after all this time, you think so highly of them?"  
"Of course! Chara never meant anything bad. Even getting us killed and... releasing the Void..." he trailed off, suddenly realizing what might be naivete.  
Frisk leaned closer and spoke in a whisper as if to make extra sure Chara didn't hear them.

"Listen, your sibling, I think they-"  
"And THERE!" The First Child suddenly exclaimed as their hands pulled apart and they, for all intents and purposes, seemed to tear a hole in reality itself.  
The King and the Queen starred wide-eyed at the apparition. For all its portent what it showed was seemed to be nothing but pleasant. A hole in reality, showing a glittering, prosperous city. A gentle, comfortable summer breeze seeped through and the faint sound of birdsong, migosps, froggits, and laughter could be heard. A light of peace and prosperity in the death-filled Underground.  
"This... this is what I wanted to show you. What I want for us" Chara said in between gasps, apparently tired from the ordeal of ripping reality apart.

Asriel stepped closer with Frisk at his side. He realized that the city in the hole was Ebott, but a greater, cleaner, far more prosperous one that he had ever imagine.  
"What... is it?" Frisk asked out loud.  
"The Perfect Timeline" came the prompt reply from Chara.  
"It's a Timeline?" Asriel gasped in warning.  
"Yes, one where everyone, us, mom, dad, monsters, even humans are happy" Chara explained.  
The view into The Perfect Timeline changed as they spoke, showing Frisk, Asriel, and Chara, arm-in-arm, going down the central street, laughing at an unheard joke. On the streets, every monster and human could be seen greeting them warmly.  
Even Monster Kid showed up, managing a 'high-five' with his foot to Frisk.

It changed again, showing Toriel and Asgore, each sitting on a throne inside the castle, pap-in-paw as monsters and humans came and asked for help and support. What exactly was said couldn't be heard but every one that entered left with a content smile, a few even cheering at the monarchs' answer.  
As the last supplicant left, the 2 of them turned to each other, enjoying a brief moment, before leaning close and shared a deep, heartfelt nuzzle.

The view changed again, showing monsters and humans busy at work constructing what seemed to be the foundation of a new town. Magic was used to bore pillars into the ground, while strong-backed humans hauled heavy equipment around, all sharing a spirit of teamwork and cooperation.  
For Asriel and Frisk, it was like watching through a window into a dream come true. Glancing down, Asriel even found himself subconsciously reaching a paw out to it.

"I've had a lot of time to think about my actions and what lead us to our deaths, Asriel" Chara began somberly "Not only was I petty, I was shortsighted as well. In some dumb way, I thought us offing a village of human would some way improve monsterkind's lot in life, and that once you were free you would continue the fight against humanity. But I know better now. I learned that there are uncountable timelines and new ones are constantly being created... but there is only 1 Void and through that I learned from some lost souls about this, The Perfect Timeline" They gestured towards the rift in the world. "I was a fool. I thought monsterkind would want vengeance but you don't work that way. To monsters hatred and spite are poison to the soul, you'd be far more likely to just find a nice spot of land to call your own and then make a new start. And you have" Chara nodded approvingly "But there's still so much hurt and damage left in this timeline. Too much to ever really repair. I can't make a good, happy world out of this. But I can lead us to one" They reached an open hand out towards Asriel and Frisk, as if prompting them to take the offer.

"So what do you say? A world where we can always be happy, where there was no human-monster war, where we never died, where mom and dad never broke up and where peace and cooperation between monsters and humans will last forever. All the time I spent in the Void to break out was so I could give you this gift, Asriel. To make up for my mistake... A Happy Ending for Everyone..."

Asriel's eyes were practically sparkling as he imagined it all. A perfect world where they would never have to worry about anything. It was what his parents, himself and Frisk had sought to make of their own world all this time and now, it was practically handed to them on a platter.

If it weren't for Frisk suddenly speaking up he might have taken the offer without a second thought.  
"But what about mom, dad, and our friends?" Frisk asked  
"They'll be there too, all of them, even Doggo and that dino dude, what was his name... eh, Monster Kid? As if they had never died" Chara explained.  
"No, I mean, THIS timeline's version of them? What will happen to them?"  
Chara looked aside in discomfort "Well... I'm sure you noticed the way this world is going. I'm sorry but I don't think there's time to get everyone else"  
The revelation settled like a sinking anchor in Asriel's chest. He looked over at Frisk, meeting her eyes and seeing she had reached the same conclusion.  
"B-but they'll be just as real in The Perfect Timeline! Just happier and without any of the suffering they have gone through in this one!" Chara rapidly fired off once they noticed their hesitation.

"Chara..." Asriel sighed sadly.  
"Honest! Just think about it"  
"Chara..." Frisk echoed.  
"I know it sounds bad, but once go through all of this will seem like a bad dream, I promise!"  
"Chara, we can't" Frisk said quietly but firmly "What you're offering is... beyond our wildest imaginations. But it's not our timeline. We won't turn out back on our world"  
"But-"  
"She's right, Chara" Asriel followed up, almost wincing in pain at turning down the offer, especially as it came from his long-lost sibling, but he knew in his heart that taking the offer would literally abandon the world he had grown up and lived in to die "A world without hardships... would be amazing. But this is our world and for better or worse, all the pain and obstacles we have gone through are what define us. If we took your offer, all of that would be in vain, it would mean nothing" Asriel said, paws clenched at his side "... I'm sorry, but we can't" he quietly added.

Chara looked back and forth at the 2, with an expression like they had just both slapped them in the face with a soggy Legendary Hero. They settled to staring wide-eyed at the ground in front of them "You... refuse? Never did I imagine that you would..." they trailed off.  
Frisk calmly stepped forward, placing a hand on Chara's shoulder "I'm sorry. I know it's what you wanted but it's an offer we just can't take" she soothed, throwing a quick glance at Asriel who nodded in agreement "Chara, is it true you were the one to rip open the Void, then? Do you think you close it again? Our friends are all trying to defend Ebott from it right now, but I'm not sure how long they will last"

Despite still staring at the ground as if shell-shocked, Chara wrinkled their nose for a moment, thinking. "Close the Void?... Yes... Yes, I Could do that" They muttered. The Emphasis on "Could" putting Asriel and Frisk ill at ease.  
"Well then, would you do it then? You could save a lot of monster lives" Frisk prompted.  
"Closing the Void would take all my Determination... if I did I wouldn't have enough to hold open the rift into the Perfect Timeline..."  
"I'm sorry Chara, but we have made our decision" Asriel calmly said, walking over to the 2 humans and kneeling down "Please, if you can, close the Void, save Ebott. Please" He implored.

Chara calmly raised their head, settling their ethereal, ghostly eyes on Asriel, all the while slowly taking on a resolute, determined smirk.  
"No" They flatly stated.  
"Wh-what!?"  
"I didn't spend years, decades even, in the Void, tearing the veil apart with Determination alone, waiting to bring you this gift just so you could throw it back in my face!" Chara calmly but fiercely declared.  
"Ch-Chara!"  
" **I know it's hard letting go of something you've been a part of all your life, but believe me, this world is Not Worth Saving! I'll Drag You To Your Happy Ending Kicking And Screaming If I Have To!** " The first human roared.

Both Frisk and Asriel were completely stunned at the development. Ahead of them, Chara turned around, swiping twice at the air with ghostly hands glowing red with Determination. 2 more tears in the world appeared where they did, leading into timelines that looked a lot darker.  
" **But first, I want you to realize just how lucky you are to be given this offer in the first place. There are thousands of timelines worse than this one. I Know, And I. Will. Show. You.** "  
They turned around, reaching a clenched fist out towards Asriel and Frisk. From behind them, a group of void spirits manifested, sinking their cold, ethereal hands into them. Asriel was frozen cold at the sheer entropy and malice suddenly engulfing his soul. He was just barely aware of Frisk weakly trying to fight off the influence herself. But in the end, they were not strong enough to break free, powerless to save themselves from being dragged towards the 2 news rifts. Asriel smelled burning and fire coming from the other side of his rift, accompanied by the sounds of far-off screaming and fighting, while Frisk was dragged toward a hole showing a cavernous, quiet darkness.  
" **Don't worry, what you're about to witness might seem like your worst nightmares come to life but you'll thank me in the end, and then you might finally appreciate what I have offered you** " Chara said. Their eyes had disappeared, replaced by empty nothings that dripped a dark liquid, and what almost looked like blood seeping from their mouth.

It was the last thing Asriel and Frisk saw before they were thrown into the rifts, hurtling towards darker timelines.

* * *

 **Of all people, I never thought you would ever refuse me, Asriel. Always the gentlegoat, always so mindful of what other's thought of you, always so afraid... to say 'no'.**

 **Still, perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised. If what you've gone through the years is anything to go by, you've actually grown into those horns of yours.**  
 **'Yes' and 'No' are powerful words, Azzy. No other words have the capacity to form timelines and shape destinies. If you had said 'no' back then, we both would never have died... but if you had said 'yes' at another, pivotal point? Well...**  
 **See for yourself...**

All around Asriel was a miasma of color and sounds, temporal pathways into other timelines, intriguing and with infinite promise but all beyond reach.  
One, in particular, stood out, a hole showing a prosperous Ebott with him, his family and friends standing together in front of it, but there were also plenty of faces he had never seen before. A human woman standing beside a young boy, a group of dragons and female canine with silvery eyes, wearing a hood and skirt. He had never seen them before yet a series of names appeared in his mind as if planted by someone else "Alvina, Adam, Darkness, Red" the last name, in particular, sparked something akin to love inside him. Was this someone close to him in this timeline?

He was ripped out of his thought by the currents of time. He was freefalling, plummeting towards a burning orange timeline. He tucked his limbs as close to his body as he could, bracing for a rough landing but as he went through he found himself deposited gently into a very, VERY ungentle timeline.

He heard screaming, angry yelling and the crackling of flame. Gently, he raised his head towards the noises, coming face-to-face with a vision straight out of his worst nightmares.  
He was atop a tall cliff, witness to Ebott burning. It's streets glittering with the dust of monsters trampled into the ground by human soldiers. He saw how a door to a monster home was kicked in, then immediately exited by a magical rock-bolt, sending the breacher flying back. A couple of other humans pulled shields forth, calmly advancing into the house, blocking all further magical projectiles. A few moments later they exited again, dragging a feline and leonine monster by their furs. They were cruelly tossed onto the streets where they begged and pleaded on their knees, but to no avail. A swing of a sword saw both of them turned to dust, adding another layer to the one already covering the street.

Asriel felt their deaths as another barb in his heart, even as he sat stunned. Everywhere, he saw landmarks so dear to him aflame; the skelebro's house, Muffet's bakery shop, the royal castle... his mother's house.  
Was this hell? A timeline dedicated solely to his failures?

"Hm? Asriel Dreemurr? Well, I'll be. This is a surprise" a cold and aristocratic voice to his side suddenly called out. Overlooking the same nightmarish vision as him was a pagoda, flanked on either side by a pair of humans in ornate, bejeweled armor and wielding long halberds. But it wasn't them that concerned Asriel, it was the pagoda's lone occupant "I thought all those years ago were the last I'd ever see if you but here you are, in the dust"  
"V-Valantis...!?" Asriel hissed in disbelief.  
"When my soldiers reported they had put the castle to the torch and dusted all that remained for the monster royal line, I thought it true, but here you are. How in the world did you get past my guards?" The Former Human King asked in amusement.  
"But...but you died..." Asriel whispered, too low to be heard  
"Ah, but it doesn't matter. In a way I still owe you"  
"What!?"  
"You handing over your savior, Frisk's soul saved me a lot of time and effort. I hope you've enjoyed these last few years of peace but alas, all things must come to an end. You monsters are simply too dangerous for the future I have in mind"

Asriel was on his knees, his mind summing and spinning with the dread realization of what this timeline had different and what Chara meant. 'saying Yes at a pivotal point'. When Valantis had offered him his loved ones back and several years of peace in exchange for Frisk's soul during the Crownquest... he had refused and had barely managed to defeat him.  
But not here, in this timeline he had sold Frisk out for a weak offer of peace.  
"So that's how is it then..." he hissed "Even when I win, somewhere, sometime, there will always be a time where I fail. No matter how hard I try... it will never be enough..." He looked aside "I do try enough... don't I?"

Ahead of him, Valantis cocked his head in curiosity "You seem... awfully emotional and despondent for someone that's not supposed to have a soul. What, did dear old, heh, Tori or Gorey get you a new one?" He grinned. It was like a slap to the face.  
" **You... Do NOT... Get to say their names** " Asriel rumbled like a dormant fire god waking up, calmly getting to his feet.  
The confident grin on Valantis's face turned into a sneer "Bah, seeing as I 'owe' you consider a quick death my way of repaying you. Guards! Remove the head of this failed prince and bag his dust for me. It's going on the trophy shelf. So sorry, Prince Asriel. You can't kill my dreams... but my dreams can kill you"

As one, the 2 guards on either side of the pagoda hefted their halberds and advanced on Asriel, face still aimed at the ground. The foremost one raised his weapon and chopped down in a move that would easily have taken his head off. But instead found his attack arrested, the blade of the halberd caught between the palms of Asriel's paws, having clapped down on it. Through the lenses of his helm, the guard's eyes widened in surprise, and shortly after, pain, as the halberd was suddenly super-heated by fire magic in Asriel's grip, turning it white-hot.

The guard jumped back, letting go of his fiery weapon with a "Yeowch!" quickly silenced as Asriel stabbed the weapon forward, hitting his throat with the pommel of the halberd, before deftly swinging it around, smacking the flat end into his head and knocking him out.

The other guard stepped forward, lashing out with a series of stabs, all easily deflected by Asriel, seeing as the halberd was also the weapon used by the Royal Guard and one he had much practice with.  
Another stab went out, this time Asriel managed to catch the head of the guard's halberd with his own and with a quick pull yanked him off balance. He quickly followed up, slicing out with the weapon towards the guard's leg, where it burrowed deep into his shin. The guard collapsed but before he could as much as shout in pain, his chin collided with Asriel's knee, striking hard enough to send his helmet flying and his consciousness into darkness.  
The armored body collapsed unto the ground with a heavy thud, once again rendering the only audible sound the distant screaming and crackling flames of Ebott.

Ahead of him, Valantis gave an annoyed sigh "Really, Asriel, isn't it a bit too late to be defiant? Look around you, your family is dead, your city is burning and the last vestige of your people, your race is being hunted down! Just give up already! You lost, just accept it and die with some dignity!"  
"Valantis..." Asriel growled with more disgust and loathing he knew he had in him, his shoulder cape billowing briskly at his side "No matter where, no matter the timeline, you will always be a murderous, degenerate BASTARD!" He shouted, causing a few nearby patches of grass to ignite in flames "Maybe it is too late, maybe I can't kill your dreams..." He raised the halberd to point at the human "...But I can kill you..."  
"...Little late for that" Valantis coldly answered "When you had the power of Frisk's soul inside you, maybe you would have had the faintest of hopes. Now? You're broken, a mere pathetic boss monster, fit only to be dusted and cast aside" A sword of ice manifested in his hand and he calmly stepped down from the pagoda "There are hundreds, thousands of bodies and dust piles behind me, Asriel. I didn't become King of Humans without having to get my hands bloodied and dusted. You? You'll be nothing more than a footnote on my latest victory"

Asriel grabbed the halberd tighter and braced himself. It was true; compared to the last time he had fought the human king he was much weaker now. But he did have one advantage he didn't have back then.  
Experience.  
As he saw Valantis crouch down slightly, he knew what was about to happen. The exact same opening move he had started out with last time.

The Human King disappeared. He counted the seconds. 3...2...1... then he reversed his grip on the halberd and stabbed it behind him hard and without looking, straight into the just materialized Valantis. There was a sickening 'squelch' as the weapon pierced through the human's armor on both sides, followed by a 'clank' as his icy sword fell to the ground.  
Asriel let go of the polearm, sensing, rather than seeing, Valantis stagger back in pained surprise. But even running him through would never be enough to answer for all the pain and death he had caused in this timeline alone.

Almost without really wanting to Asriel clenched his paw at his side as the full weight of the atrocities Valantis had committed against his people and family filled his mind. They manifested as white-hot magical flames in his paw, growing in temperature and power exponentially with his own anger. Magical Magma began dripping through his fingers, leaving scorched marks on the ground. Some it even cooled around his paw, leaving it encrusted in rock-hard obsidian.  
" **You... will never again... hurt another living soul... You BASTARD!** " Asriel roared, turning around with the full weight of his body and smashing his obsidian-encrusted paw straight into the human's face who, still dazed from having a whole polearm unceremoniously impaled through his body, could do nothing to avoid.

A loud 'CRACK' and 'BOOM' followed and Valantis was sent flying back, scrapping a deep furrow in the ground as he scrapped across it, still with the halberd sticking out of him.  
Asriel growled wolfishly, flames escaping his mouth with every breath. He still wasn't done. Several timelines worth of slain innocent monsters demanded justice and although it was too late to prevent the tragedy of monsterkind's extinction, he could still punish the one responsible.  
… or rather, someone with more experience in causing hurt could.

" **Flowey...** "  
"WAAAH!" The flower shrieked in fear inside his head.  
" **How about... you take the reins for a bit... make him suffer...?** "  
"Wh-what!? Really?"  
He nodded " **Do... what you do best...** "  
"Alright alright, just stop talking like that! You're really freakin' scary when you're angry, you know that?"  
Asriel didn't answer, instead focusing on forcing his conscious down in response to the one rising from his soul. He had enough strength of mind t take his body back by force if need be, but for now, he was more than happy to allow an experienced sadist to go to work.

As he receded he felt his body change as the LOVE-filled essence of Flowey took over. His teeth and fangs grew sharper and more numerous, his claws lengthened and curved inwards like barbed fishhooks, his sclera turned black and dark lines formed on the side of his head. Normally this would have horrified him but knowing who was on the receiving end of the upcoming megaton beating was worth it.  
And besides, he needed time to himself to process all that had just happened; Chara returning, the timeline hopping...  
And if Frisk was safe.

* * *

 **Frisk Dreemurr, The Determined Child, The Future of Monsters and Humans. You've made quite a name for yourself for someone so young. Impressive... for a human.**

 **But what I find even more impressive is how tough you actually are, underneath that exterior of peace and mercy. Of all the timelines I've seen there are almost none where you perish and in those that you do, well... You Refuse, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.**  
 **Threat of danger obviously doesn't face you. If I recall, Flowey once asked what you would do if you were faced with a relentless and remorseless killer. I think it's safe to say your actions afterward answered that question well and truly.**  
 **But I wonder, what would you do if not you, but someone you love and care for... was faced with the same?**

As Frisk entered through the rift to the other timeline she found herself in a darkness so deep she couldn't even tell of her eyes were closed or not. At least she wasn't trapped in some big nothingness – beneath her feet and at her sides, she could feel uneven and rugged stone and the air felt chilly with a slight even draft. A cave perhaps?

In the distance, she could hear faint talking, then clashing and desperate fighting.  
One-sided desperate fighting.  
She quickened the pace, half stumbling, half tripping her way through the darkness and towards the sounds. She finally spotted a faint shaft of moonlight in the distance, periodically shifting hue as the unmistakable glow and flashes of magic surged all around it.

With a last strain of effort, she managed to push herself through a narrow cleft into the wide, circular cavern the noises and flashes had come from.  
There was a sickening 'Squelch' noise, like something sharp tearing through cloth and skin. Frisk raised her head at the sound, barely perceiving through the darkness the shape of a large monster. It hoisted something with a grunt and there, held up like a flagpole was a sight that struck Frisk cold.

Asriel impaled on a spear, dust already leaking off him in droves.  
Frisk practically stumbled backward in horror at the sight. She knew what this was and what was happening. The clash with Caderas that had only narrowly avoided ending in tragedy because of Asgore's fortunate arrival.  
But this time he was nowhere in sight.

Asriel weakly struggled against sliding further down the spear, but in the end, the pain overwhelmed him and his arms fell slack down.  
It finally caused Frisk to snap out of her shock, jumping to her feet and running at the scene.  
"NO! DON'T DO IT!" She shouted.  
Both figures turned to regard the unexpected intrusion. Asriel limply raised his head and spoke with a tired, dying voice.  
"F-Frisk... I'm sorry..." then he could hold on no longer and the Prince of Monsters turned to dust on the floor of a cold, lonely cave.

For Frisk, it was like having both her heart and soul torn to pieces several times over. She fell to a knee, her head a swirling chaos of grief and regret. 'Why did this have to happen? Why did Chara send me here? Is this a nightmare?' spun in her mind.  
She couldn't even begin the imagine the ramifications of Asriel's death, not just for herself but for everyone else. How mom and dad would react to losing him again, how the rest of monsterkind would respond. Would they sink back into depression like last time? It was too much...

A deep sigh, like wind escaping a cave, woke her up. The culprit turned fully to face her.  
"Fate can be a cruel mistress. I hath sought to end the Dreemurr line starting with thine father, King Asgore, yet I am forced to kill not one but 2 children this day" Caderas rumbled direly as a magical, red-glowing axe appeared in his paws.

Frisk had never really gotten a good look at the legendary former Captain of the Royal Guard, but she could easily understand how he could have gotten that renown on intimidation factor alone. He was huge, even more so than her dad and wearing a suit of armor more ornate than any she had seen, with the slight trace of a removed Delta Rune on it's chest plate. The only part of his body not encased in armor was his head – unmistakably canine with black and silvery fur along a grizzled and scarred muzzle all encompassed by a mane of graying silvery fur. He almost looked like an old, battle-weary lion.  
But Frisk felt no fear, only a single, rising emotion she had done her best all her life to never get the better of her.

"Know that I take no pleasure in this, Child. The peaceful and pacifistic ways od he Dreemurrs have held our kind back for too long. I know thee, Frisk Dreemurr, Princess of Ebott, thine merciful nature are well known even to me. Under thine rule nothing will change" Caderas lowered his head, shadows covering his eyes as he advanced on the human "Which is why thee have to die..."  
"What... have you done...?" Frisk muttered, on the verge of sobbing outright  
"What needed to be done. The Dreemurr line Must be ended if we art to rise again. Our chains must be broken... starting with thee and thine brother"

Frisk curled her hands at her side till they shaking. Her head dropped to the ground as her mind raced to process it all "You think to solve this... with murder?... with shedding dust and blood?" She said quietly as if in disbelief.  
"Grim challenges requires grim resolves, child. It is a shame thee only learns this now, at the end of thine life"  
Frisk's hands shook even harder and an angry snarl appeared on her face. Even her eyes began softly glowing with the red glow of Determination.  
"Murder...Killing... is Never the answer" she growled.  
"Hmpfh, this will go easier if thee doth not resist, child. Now, hold still" Caderas rumbled, lifting the axe over his head, poised to lop the kneeling Frisk's head clean off.

But then she was kneeling no more, rising to her feet faster than the eye could see and raising her hand to the sky. A blinding red beam shot out from it, aimed straight at where the moonlight came from. There was a sound like the breaking of glass followed by the 'woosh' of escaping air.  
Fearing an attack Caderas had jumped back far faster than his size would indicate. He looked up at where the beam had hit in wonderment.  
"What...?"  
"The Barrier that held you trapped here. I broke it" Frisk flatly stated in a cold voice.  
Caderas regarded her as if she had just grown a second head, completely baffled.  
"I... am going to make you regret what you have done..."

Caderas recomposed himself, charging at her while swinging his axe at her head, but she was already moving, dashing forward and clearing the axe's edge before either of them had as much as blinked. She jumped at his head, grabbed him by his mane and reared her head back.  
Despite the almost laughable size difference between the human child and the former monster captain and the fact that Frisk had no LV in her soul, the headbutt she delivered sent him crashing onto his back. Frisk hadn't let go of his mane and as soon as he landed she pulled his head to hers so they came face-to-face.

"And you are coming with me. You want monterkind to rise again!? Then I will do so but without harming a single soul and with you every step of the way! I will take monsterkind and humans into a future where no one will ever have to live under the shadow of fear and war ever again! I will show you that murder is **Never** the answer, and I won't rest until you beg me to be Spared of the memory of what you have done here! **Do you hear me!? I don't care how many times you try to kill me, I will NEVER stop and I will never let you hurt anyone before you realize the magnitude of the crime you have done!** " Frisk shouted with all the grief and rage witnessing the death of Asriel had caused her.

Caderas could only stare back in shock. Completely unmoving.  
In fact, literally unmoving, Frisk suddenly realized.  
She let go of his mane, finding every strand of hair hanging completely still as if frozen in time.  
"What the..." she muttered, before a drawn-out sigh beside her made her turn towards it.  
"This... wasn't really how this was supposed to go" the spirit of Chara said. "Normally, when people are faced with something so horrible clashing against their core values they usually, y'know, bend, break, give up on them, whatever, they don't dig in and believe in them even stronger than before"  
"Why... did you show me this, Chara?"  
"Because you're the most merciful person I've ever known, even someone threatening you with death has never stopped you from sparing them. I wanted to see what would happen when someone else close to you was threatened" Chara explained and looked over at the stock-still figure of Caderas "Truth be told, I fully expected you to try and kill him"  
"Well I didn't. Are you happy now? Are you satisfied enough to let us go!?" Frisk hissed.

"No" Chara flatly stated "This is only the beginning. I got so much more to show you. You and my brother. You don't give up easily Frisk... but neither do I"  
Chara tore another rift in the air, this one showing a small glimpse of a town in the Underground.  
A host of void spirits promptly rose from the ground at the First Child's command, grabbing Frisk and pulled her towards the rift.  
Once again she was sent tumbling towards a timeline where something had gone wrong.

Where she and her friends had earned a Bad Ending.

* * *

 **So, those of you more learned about UT Fanfics might recognize a small shoutout to an amazing story going around, let's see if anyone can figure it out.**

 **Until next time!**


	20. Bad Ends Part 1

**We're entering the final arc of the story, or, rather, I guess we technically did that last chapter but here is the official announcement! Hooray!**

 **What's not 'Hooray' is what's going to happen, though. Yikes**!

* * *

In the fields bordering Ebott from the rest of the world, the battle to save all of monsterkind from a fate worse than death had entered its 8th hour. Rows of brave guardmonsters stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, swinging their halberds side to side in an almost mechanical motion, for there was little need for any finesse or skill against an opponent that was literally throwing themselves at them.  
In the middle of it all, where the fighting was thickest, was Undyne.

By her account, she must have banished hundreds of void spirits by now but despite her bet with Gerson she had long ago lost count. Her excitement and bravado were long gone, replaced with a growing dread and outrage. All she focused on was her swings.

'Keep your elbows close to your body. Lower the weapon a bit as the swing reaches its zenith so the trajectory doesn't go over their heads. Brace with your leg for the wind-down for faster recovery. Start the swing with a strong grip of your lower hand and a weaker one with your upper. Rinse and repeat"  
It was a motion everybody around her was copying with as much concentration as they could, for even the briefest of openings were mercilessly exploited by the spirits.  
Something Undyne witnessed yet again out of the corner of her eye. Roggy, a new member of the guard, just joined about a month ago and no more than 18 years old placed his foot wrong on the wind-down, costing him just half a second more to recover. It was all one of the spirits needed. A screaming ghostly human pounced on Roggy, bore him to the ground and tore out his soul in the blink of an eye.

A pair of backline guardmonsters quickly stepped in to send the spirit away with their magical halberds but by then it was too late. Young Roggy was nothing but dust and his soul consumed by a being of hatred and rage.  
Undyne felt his death like a white-hot barb in her heart and she almost shared his fate as the nearby void spirits sensed the burning emotion within her, increasing the ferocity of their attacks but she beat them all back with all the tranquil fury and steely Determination the Spear of Justice was famed for.

A couple of guards appeared at her sides, clearing out the immediate area around her before one of them gave her an acknowledging nod. Undyne stepped back with a frustrated grunt – with how unceasing and constant the attacks had been, she had set up a rotation of guards to switch position on the lines on a 4-hour basis so that her guardsmonsters didn't get too tired and had time to rest, which included herself.  
But rest was the last thing she wanted. Everywhere she looked up and down the line was the same story; The Royal Guard fighting bravely to keep the menace at bay, yet every so often one of them would be dragged down and consumed by the spirits; a fate worse than death.

It was especially that last part that was so infuriating to her. Being a member of the Royal Guard meant pledging yourself to a cause greater than the individual. It was a hard, arduous, sometimes dangerous job but one that should bring with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Being a protector of monsterkind's home and way of life, whether you lived or died in the line of duty, something everyone would look back on in awe.

What it really **shouldn't** mean was dying, scared and frightened for your loved ones, and having yourself condemned to an eternity of torment.  
The injustice of it all was almost too much for the captain to bear. Another one of her guards, Mirony, an older member, well-versed in the healing magics and who had always taken pride in helping those who couldn't help themselves went down. Undyne's hands were clenched so tight she could hear the metal of her gauntlets creak in protest.

"I don't want you to take this duty out of gratitude to me, Undyne. I want you to do it because you possess a fierceness and passion rarely seen in us monsters while still having a strong sense of duty and compassion for everyone in the Underground"  
Undyne felt her breath escape her. It had been years since Asgore had appointed her to Captain of the Royal Guard and she had heard those words. Why did they pop into her head now?

"You don't owe me anything, Undyne. Monsterkind needs heroes more than ever and you have the heart of one bigger than we have ever known. If anything, I should be the thankful one, for all the things I know you will accomplish"  
Undyne slowly craned her head upwards towards the empty sky. Back then those words had made her feel like the happiest little fish in the Underground, but now, they only served to compound the failure that was happening all around.

"Asgore... big guy. What should I do? I can't win this. No one can, there's just too many" she whispered "You... you would have thought of a way out of this. Even when it was bleakest you kept on smillin' and truckin' on... but I don't know how. What should I do?"  
In truth, Undyne hadn't expected an answer to come down from the sky, and truthfully it didn't, and not even from Asgore.  
Instead, the excited, somewhat nasally voice of Alphys suddenly shouted from a small hilltop behind her  
"Undyne! I-I did it! I got it to work, I can't believe it but I did! Ahahaha!"  
Undyne spun around, finding her little lizard lover holding a large remote, eagerly tapping away. From behind the hill, a weird machine suddenly rolled forward. It looked like a large glass kettle about the size of a house running on tracks and what looked like several exhaust pipes going from the inside of the kettle leading out. The lumbering machine rolled towards the oncoming void spirits, all the while Alphys cackled maniacally and nasally from atop her hill. The nearest guardmonsters gave the machine a wide berth, allowing it to roll into the midst of the spirits. Being a soulless machine, the spirits completely ignored it, clambering over and beside it to get to the much tastier monsters it was shielding, no doubt what Alphys had planned for.

Undyne shot the royal scientist a curious look. She knew Alphys had been working on some kind of machine that might help them in this battle, some kind of slapdash contraption of Valantis's Soul Extractor and Alphys's own DT Extractor, but as the awkward machine rolled to a standstill and started giving off a high-pitched ' **Fiiiii** ' sound like an over-pressurized tea kettle it very much looked like, Undyne couldn't help give off a sigh of exasperation.  
That was until she noticed the surprised faces of the void spirits. So far, they had shown nothing but hunger and anger but now, nearly every one of them was wide-eyed.  
Then, they started moving back, sliding along the ground and bodies tilted backward as if an overpoweringly strong wind was pushing them along, all dragged towards the kettle-like machine. The frustrated screams and howls of the spirits returned but much more fearful this time. The nearest one to the kettle-machine was lifted up and sucked in through a lid in the top, like an army of genies returning to their lamp.

"Hahaha! Alphys, you absolute madwoman, you did it! Only you could make science this kickass" Undyne cheered. But atop the hill, Alphys's own enthusiasm was rapidly dwindling. She kept tapping away at a red button, her maniacal grin settling into one of fear as the kettle-machine didn't react to her inputs.  
"Hehe...eh, yo, Alphys, ya might wanna turn off your machine now. Looks like it's getting' full" she heard Undyne shout. She risked a glance up, feeling her heart sink at the sight.  
Large cracks and fractures were appearing along the glass kettle as it struggled to keep the now hundreds of void spirits contained within. The glass and practically every part f the machine had been magically enchanted in order to strengthen them, but many of the souls within it were human, far stronger, and much more difficult to contain.  
Some of them might even have possessed the machine itself as it refused her every attempt to shut down "Please no, please no, please no, please no" Alphys gibbered in cold fear as a meter and arrow on her remote showed the machine reaching critical mass to the point of no return.

And then, the catastrophe happened.  
The kettle-like machine, already overflowing with struggling, angry souls blew apart, sending shrapnel, debris and howling spirits flying in all directions. But at the center of the explosion, an anomaly formed. The innermost spirits, those tightly packed together at the center of the machine swirled around each other in a whirlwind of spiritual energy, sucking those closes into its stream. It grew in height and, terribly enough, shape. At the bottom of the whirlwind legs appeared, then the shaping of a torso, arms, and a head until where once the Defenders of Ebott's biggest hope had rolled in now stood a sight so terrifying even Undyne felt her legs grow heavy with fear.

"An... an amalgamation... of souls?" Alphys whispered in a voice thick with despair and shame "No, not again...Not another one... I didn't mean to..." She fell to her knees. It was enough to momentarily wake Undyne from her stupor. The amalgamations were one of her lover' greatest regrets and shames and knowing she had just made another, much more dangerous one, was no doubt a heavy blow to her already fragile self-esteem. She would have run to comfort her had the triumphant roar from the spirit amalgamation not almost floored her. All around her, her guardmonsters were turning and running, the canine ones literally with their tails between their legs. It was like an infectious disease, spreading through the ranks, causing everyone to run, too scared to realize that by doing so they were effectively dooming the rest of monsterkind to a fate worse than extinction.  
"HOLY DOGBISCUITS! WHAT IS THAT THING!?"  
"NO! I DON'T WANNA DIE! MOMMA! HELP ME!  
"EVERY GUARD FOR HIMSELF!"

Even Undyne felt the disease settling into her as the soul amalgamation started stomping towards Ebott City behind them, rallying the other spirits who hadn't been caught up in the whirlwind behind it.  
'This... this isn't fair' Undyne furiously thought to herself 'We've barely had a few years on the surface... and now this? Our entire race doomed to suffer for eternity for something beyond anyone's control? And for what? Why us!? Why did something like this have to happen!? THIS ISN'T FAIR, DAMMIT!'

In the midst of the swirling army of gray that was the void spirits, Undyne caught sight of something. A lone female leonine guardmonster, halberd in hand, staring up at the soul amalgamation. Her teeth were barred, roaring angrily at it all, and yet even at a distance, Undyne could clearly see the absolute terror in her eyes, tears of fear leaking and her paws shaking. For the life of her, Undye didn't recognize her.  
And yet she stood her ground roaring defiantly at the end... which came as the soul amalgamation stomped down on her, the other spirits lunging at her soul to drain it of all life and emotions before it broke.

"Being a hero is easy enough, young Undyne. It simply requires doing what is right and standing up for people who can't stand up for themselves" the memory flashed in Undyne's head, already knowing how the sentences ended. When Asgore had trained her for her role as captain much of the time had been spent teaching her the ethics and morals of being a True Hero, not just how to fight "Being brave, however, is another matter entirely. Fearlessness and bravery are two opposites, no one can be brave without being afraid. It is a test of whether you have the strength of soul to face down even the bleakest of odds or horrifying of beasts and still remain true to your yourself, your duty and what you believe in" He had kneeled down, placing his large paws on her small shoulder, flashing a smile that beamed absolute pride and confidence in her "And you, Undyne, are one of the bravest souls I know. Nothing will ever stop you from doing what is right"

It was like her vision grew a bit clearer, her heart calmed and the blanket of fear around her soul was pulled away. She sighed, how disappointed He would be if he saw her now.

Time to make it up to Him.

The fleeing guardmonsters closest to her were witness to a sudden transformation. A flash of light exploded from Undyne and as it faded, they could see her armor was changed, looking much more ornate and powerful. A brightly glowing blue flame blew from her helmet's visor, her red plume had grown several meters, billowing powerfully in the wind and a much sturdier looking spear formed in her hand.  
Before and of the guardmonsters could raise a question she took off, dashing towards the colossal soul amalgamation faster than the eye could follow.  
"Wait, Captain, what are you doing!?"  
"Captain Undyne, taking that thing on alone is suicide!"  
"Don't do it! We need you!"

But she paid them no heed.

Ahead of her several scores of void spirits sensed the nearly overwhelming surge of soul power emanating from her and moved to intercept so they could drain it from her – none of them got even close. Ten, thirty, fifty, one hundred spirits were cut down and banished within mere moments – Undyne's spear slashing and cutting them down effortlessly without her need to lower her speed.  
If she had looked back she would have seen her guardmonsters, mouths agape in awe and many more stopping their mad dash from the soul amalgamation to look at the act of skill and heroism being displayed.

The soul amalgamation itself laughed mightily at the approaching Hero. It smashed its hand down, intending to crush Undyne to dust on the ground and as it impacted unto her it threw up a great cloud of dirt, momentarily obscuring everything.  
The guardmonsters gasped in disbelief. No one could have survived that, their captain, their last hope had died needlessly! Now everything was truly lost, better to go get their families and flee the city as fast as they could, maybe-  
Another collective gasp went out, this time as they noticed a blue glow within the cloud and as it finally dissipated their hopes were restored.

Undyne was still there, alive, holding up the amalgam's index finger with one hand. She pointed her spear to the ground, causing it to glow blue as well. The amalgam managed one curious look before its face crunched into pain and it threw its hand up revealing dozens of small spears embedded into the palm from where they had erupted from the ground.

Undyne herself held on to the finger, letting her get dragged up to the amalgamation's shoulders and then letting go, causing the momentum to send her flying towards the monstrosity's face. The spear in her had shimmered for a moment, growing wider and longer until it looked more like a whaling harpoon than a spear, then, as she got into range, she ran it through the amalgamation's right eye.

Despite being dead and not having a real, physical body, the magic in Undyne's spear was powerful enough to cause it to practically scream in pain. Its one good hand flew to its face, and only narrowly Undyne avoided being squished. Instead, she fell down, preparing another magical spear that she stabbed into the chest of soul amalgam. Using her own weight she dragged the spear and herself down, effectively cutting the colossus open.  
She reached the end, allowing herself to drop to the ground. She turned her back to the soul amalgamation as its screams faded.

It fell to its knees, then to its hands and then flat on its stomach. Its form started to shimmer and fade as if it was phasing out of reality, but just as it was about to calmly dissipate completely it exploded into a white light, soul energy whipping from its center and knocking every other spirit down and even some of the heavily armored Knight-Knights.  
But Undyne, despite being right next to it barely flinched. All the guardmonsters saw was the heroic figure of the Spear of Justice standing like an unyielding mountain against the explosively violent force behind her.

Even the other void spirits were stunned for a moment... until the gnawing hunger within them reminded them of their one purpose. As one they ganged up on the captain, a howling and shrieking horde looking to tear such a potent and powerful soul to pieces for themselves. Very few of them had any luck. Without moving a step Undyne cut, slashed and impaled anything that got too close.

But within the steely demeanor and armor, she was falling apart. Determination had gotten her this far but it had taken its toll by now. She felt wetness on her hands and face and not just from her sweat, and her attacks were becoming slower.

One of the spirits tackled her from behind, not hard enough to knock her down, but still harsh enough to knock the wind out of her and move her out of position. Another one managed to send its ethereal hand into her body, grasping for her soul with Undyne only narrowly managing to cut it off. But the spirits' attacks increased and more and more piled unto her and for a few moments, she was sure this was the end. They just needed one lucky hit to claim her soul, drain her of all she was before sending the leftover and her consciousness down to suffer in the Void.  
She snarled and roared in defiance of her incoming death, knowing it wasn't far off.

'At least Alphys and the others are safe for the moment' she thought 'At least I bought some time. I would happily give my life just so She could have a few more minutes'

One of the spirits managed to grab her hand and wrench her spear aside just as another one jumped high and plummeted towards her, ghostly hands outstretched to rip her soul from her chest.  
Undyne met its state coldly and unafraid and for the briefest of moments, the spirit almost seemed intimidated.  
Right before it was hit by a magical rock projectile, blasting it to the side.

They all turned to look at where it had come from, but all the void spirits got was a faceful of further magical projectiles; Fire, rock, ice, metal and everything in between, all thrown with drilled precision that ensured that everybody except the Captain was hurt.  
As a few halberd-wielding canine monsters stepped in, cutting down the last remnants, Undyne finally understood what was happening.  
Her guardmonsters were coming back, their hopes restored.  
"FOR THE ROYAL GUARD!"  
"EBOTT FOREVER!"  
"FOR HOUSE DREEMURR! FOR THE RUNE!"

Gerson was among them, hammer swinging. He spared her a quick, impressed look "That still only counts as one, lass WAHAHA" Undyne had rarely felt such an immense surge of pride in her chest; her guardmonsters, brave and courageous, charging down the most horrible foes imaginable. In fact, they were even gaining ground, advancing steadily without breaking formation, too focused on redeeming their past cowardice none of them even bothered to check if she was ok.  
Except for one.

"Are you alright, brave one?" asked a gentle voice, alongside an offered, white-furred paw. Undyne gladly took it, feeling a surge of energy and well-being flood her, no doubt healing magic, letting it pull her up and finally seeing her helper.  
"Yeah, I'm fine, Toriel, no need to worry about me"  
"But I Do worry about you!" came the quick, stern but not unkind reply "What you just did was reckless, foolish even" her smile widened a bit "But also most courageous. I think I finally see what my husband saw in you, brave Undyne. I just wish you weren't in such a rush to give your life for those you love and our people. You mean far too much for us for you to be lost to some foolhardy gambit" the former queen reached down and placed her paw on Undyne's chest "He always said you had the heart of a True Hero, and now, more than ever, we need that"  
Undyne was a seasoned fighter but even she felt herself blush and humbled at her words.  
"Th-thank you, mam"  
"I should be the one thanking you, brave Undyne. Here you are, risking your very soul for us all while all I can manage is a bit of soothsaying to the more troubled of your guardmonsters"

Undyne looked over the former queen's shoulders. In the background of the battle, a small series of camps had been set up where those guardmonsters not out fighting could catch a break, get some sleep, food and, for the more fragile ones, emotional reassurance. Compared to humans monsters were somewhat emotionally fragile, thus when fighting against something as horrible as the Void some of them needed extra empathetical support, lest they risk losing hope and falling down. Toriel had volunteered for this service, Undyne remembered.

"I wouldn't know about that. Many of them told me it was only through your words they found the strength to go on. Hell, you may very well already have saved as many lives as I have at this point"  
Toriel replied with a kind smile before subtly looking away, a somber thought clearly on her mind "In that case, there might be something you could do to soothe my worries, brave Undyne"  
"If you're wondering whether I believe we can win this, no, sorry to say. We can only buy time at this point"  
"As I feared, then" Toriel sighed "But, in truth, that isn't what I wanted to ask"  
"Then what?"  
Toriel looked up and Undyne found in her eyes a maternal concern so deep she couldn't help but feel guilty  
"I... haven't heard much from my children. I expected they would be here but that isn't the case"  
"They-"  
"No, don't tell me where they are" Toriel cut off "If they aren't here I can only imagine they on some important task to end all this madness. If you were to tell me where they are... I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to hold back from running to them, I might ruin everything" she sighed again "Instead, I want to know, if this truly is the end... Will I at the very least see my children again, brave Undyne? Will I at the very least be able to say goodbye before the end?"

Undyne almost felt floored by the question as well as her inability to give a concrete answer.  
"I... don't know, mam" she managed after a few moments "It's true the two squirts are off doing something that might end all this, but whether we'll see them again..." She shrugged dejectedly "That depends entirely on whether they succeed or not"

The former queen was silent for a few moments, digesting the answer before nodding solemnly "I see... I thank you for your answer, brave Undyne, even if it doesn't put me at ease" She moved a paw up to wipe away a tear in her eye "I didn't get to... say goodbye last time I lost them. If that were to happen again I...I..."  
"C'mon Tori, don't do this to yourself. We need you as well. There are a lot of my guardmonsters trusting you to keep them from falling down" she placed her hand on the former queen's shoulders "You'll just have to trust Asriel and Frisk won't let us down either. Hell, when have they ever?" She beamed, flashing her iconic smile.

* * *

Despite having knowingly handed his body over to Flowey, seen his long-lost sibling and seen them tear open pathways into different timelines, Asriel was still at a loss on how to comprehend it all.

He was dimly aware of Flowey using his body and fire magic, alongside his own plant-based one to torment the almost completely subdued Valantis. A small part of him felt guilty for the unnecessary but still completely deserved torture he was inflicting... but an even bigger part of him felt a sick sense of satisfaction.  
It was as he had feared. Ever since his Crownquest and their mission to the human capital a few years later, the few LV tests Alphys had done on him all showed a worrying truth; his LV was on the rise.  
It was a harsh blow being told that, a subtle hint that he really wasn't that much different from the flowery persona he so detested. The truth of it was being displayed to him even now. Torturing a bastard like Valantis helped no one and no one deserved it more... but it just felt so satisfying.  
A dangerous mindset for a monster to be in.

With a deep mental breath, Asriel focused his consciousness upwards and throughout his body, hearing Flowey give an annoyed whine as he lost control, all the while the transformation Flowey's LV had done on his body was reversed; his teeth grew less numerous and less shark-like, his claws shrunk to a less threatening state and his fur took on a brighter shade of white.  
He flexed his fingers for a moment, feeling his senses return.  
"How... is this... possible...?" A weak, raspy voice gasped. Valantis was in a sorry state. The halberd was still lodged in him, he was drenched in blood and several spiked vines were wrapped around his limbs, some digging their thorns into fire-charred skin.  
"You're just... a weak, pathetic... monster..."  
"And you're an irredeemable genocidal maniac" Asriel scowled. Taking a firm grip on the halberd and pulling it clean out of the human in a wash of blood. The human itself barely seemed to register it, he wasn't long for the world Asriel surmised.

"Just finish the sucker off, you know you want to! Let's put some LOVEly colors on that soul of yours!" Flowey quipped within him.  
His grip on the halberd tensed. This wasn't his timeline and whatever happened here would never affect it.

But with the chance he had, didn't he owe it to the monsters of this timeline to at least avenge them?  
Yeah, he did.  
He stopped atop the prone human, putting the edge of the halberd to his throat and setting foot atop it, ready to cut it off like a shovel would dig out an irritating tree-root.

A wicked smile appeared on the human's face, showing blood-flecked teeth "Do it then, monster, get your pointless revenge. It doesn't matter to me, I've already won" he wheezed, still brimming with confidence.  
Asriel saw through it and adding a bit of pressure to the halberd placed on his neck quickly burst the human's bubble. His eyes went wide in panic and he weakly grasped at the halberd.  
"W-wait! You can't do this! You Dreemurrs, they say you're Merciful! That you never kill. T-think about it! What wouldn't your parents say!?"  
Asriel fixed him with an unimpressed glare "You mean the parents that you murdered? Do you honestly think you deserve Mercy at this point?"  
"Y-you can't!"  
He sighed, not completely at ease with his decision but resolute enough that he would do it.  
"You know, Valantis, there's a saying I've tried to follow for most of my second chance at life 'Don't kill and don't get killed'... seems like we're both failing to live up to that today"  
"Wait!"

A quick press and it was done. The halberds blade easily cut through the human's neck, severing his head from his shoulder's and sending it rolling down the hill towards the burning Ebott in the background. A monster soul slowly emerged from the human's chest – the soul of his grandfather. It hovered close to him, emanating an aura of gratitude but with a hint of trepidation and fear. Asriel reached a claw out to it, giving it a gentle caress before it finally cracked and shattered. A far cry from the last time he had seen his grandfather's soul.  
Asriel could practically feel the dark cloud of LV settling like a blanket around his own soul, smothering the sensations of love and kindness by a few inches, the sensation only made worse by Flowey's jubilant cheers.  
"Oh sweet vindication! You finally did it, goat-butt! You killed someone out of want! You're a murderer! Hahaha!"  
"I know..." he silently answered.  
"Know what?"  
"That I'm a - huh?" Asriel turned, realizing it wasn't Flowey who had asked him but Chara, standing behind him clearly looking surprised, perhaps even a bit disappointed.  
"You... my baby-brother... actually killing someone..."  
"Chara..."  
"Even if he really deserved it, you were just about the last I'd ever imagine would be willing to do something like that"  
"I... I shouldn't have"  
"Oh, I don't know. He deserved a good killing, I just wish it wasn't you... on the other hand if you hadn't been so uptight about shedding blood all that time ago we wouldn't be in this mess"  
Come on, Chara" Asriel sighed somewhat angrily "Hasn't what monsterkind and you went through taught you anything? Violence only leads to more violence and murder and killing have only ever lead to misery. Think of how happy everyone would have been if you had never gone through with your plan... or if I had been strong enough to refuse"  
"'Botched' murdering and killing perhaps" Chara sneered "And besides, I already told you, I realize my plan was a mistake. If I could Reset that far back and stop it I would. Clinging to the past won't help anything, brother"  
"But learning from it might" Asriel said under his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of the bloodied, headless Valantis and once again a mix of euphoria and shame filled him. Killing felt good but he so deeply wished it didn't.

"Why did you bring me here? To this timeline?" He asked.  
"To show you what being too weak to stand up for yourself or your loved ones would do. Luckily, you had the gumption to refuse that half-and-half bastard in your own timeline"  
"And what, you expected that I'd fight him? He could have killed me"  
"I was going to pull you out if that happened but once I saw how surprisingly well you handled it I thought better of it"  
"Chara-"  
"No, I get it" the First Child cut off "We... may have our differences. You always were such a gentle soul but even then, I would never wish any harm on you, brother. You saved me once, I'm just trying to save you in turn... you mean too much for me to just leave you behind"

There it was again. He wanted to feel angry for what his lost sibling was putting him through but he just couldn't.  
For Chara also meant too much for him to just turn his back on.  
"Chara..."  
"But enough talk, I still have more to show you. Time to move on"  
"Please, you don't have to do this"  
"I do if I am to save you, brother. Don't worry, you'll thank me once all of this is over"

Once again they tore a hole in reality and a group of void spirits grabbed Asriel at their command, pulling him towards the hole although much gentler this time. He didn't resist. In some sick way, seeing the destruction of Ebott had spoken to something inside him – not just Flowey, but also something else. Something that may have been a deeper part of him and could easily be much more powerful.  
The Absolute God of Hyperdeath had stirred.

* * *

 **I have been cruel to you, brother. Something I deeply regretted during my stay in the Void. But, in truth, I never meant any harm to you. I wanted you to have the credit for saving monsters from the Underground, I wanted you live to happily on the surface and I wanted you to live a long and prosperous life and reign.**

 **I was an idiot for choosing you to carry my soul to the surface, you didn't have enough venom and spite in your heart to carry out my plan... but I did consider other... means.**

Once the sense of vertigo from traveling between timelines had faded, Asriel found himself in familiar surroundings. It was somewhat dark, but not any more than he remembered it being when living in the Underground.

He found himself in the garden in front of New Home, much as it had looked way back then but with a few off-putting details. The flowers still bore the telltale signs of careful and gentle care-taking but they seemed longer and a bit wilder, as if they hadn't been tended to for some time. More worrying was the sensation of mourning and loss in the air.

He approached the house. Being underground it was hard to tell the time but the temperature hinted at it being evening. Most of the lights in New Home was off except the one in the living room, and as he entered through the entrance he could hear the faint voice of his dad, Asgore, coming from the living room.  
"So remember, you will all have an important part to play in the future, and while it might not be easy I know you will all turn out to be proud and important members of the Underground. Hah! But for now, your sole responsibilities should be to yourself, having fun and making great friends for life" The cheers of children followed.

Asriel stopped for a moment. It was the ending of a speech he remembered, back when he went to school his dad would sometimes come over to talk about certain aspects and issues, this was the one about responsibility.  
Another sound broke him from his memories. Someone was... sobbing and softly crying inside the living room as well. It was a voice he could faintly recall but not quite place.

Gently, he moved the door open, finding the living room much as he remembered albeit with a few differences. A couch and TV sat at the far end of the room. On either side of the TV was a pedestal, surrounded by flowers and letters. An urn sat atop each pedestal and with a sinking heart Asriel saw the engravings on them:  
"KING ASGORE"  
"QUEEN TORIEL"

In front of the TV, sitting on his knees was the source of the crying. It was him but younger, practically a child, still wearing his green sweater. He was shaking, shoulders heaving with emotions as he watched the TV showing the Classroom and his dad.  
"Now then, any questions? I would be more than happy to help you out if you have any problems" Asgore in the TV asked gently. For a moment no one talked, but then one of the classmates, a lizard-like monster child, raised a clawed hand.  
"Uhhm, Mister King Asgore, I, uhhhm, I- I want to be a hero someday, like you! But I don't know what to do"  
Asgore had coyly scratched a cheek while slowly walking down towards the lizard that had asked the question "How to be a hero? Golly, that's a good question. Hmmm, well, if you ask me, a hero is someone who will always stand up for his classmates, and who will always help out with whatever they need, be it homework, bullies or anything really. A hero must always be prepared to put others before himself and never take the easy way out. It is not as simple as it sounds and takes a lot of hard work"  
He reached the lizard child, kneeling down and placing a paw on its shoulder "But if you look out for your classmates and help where you can you will always be a hero, at least in my eyes"

A whisper had sounded beside the hand-held camera filming the scene "Wow, your dad is so cool, Azzy"  
"I know" His younger voice answered "I know"  
The camera cut off, sending the screen into black. The child Asriel in front of it was practically bawling, shaking so much it almost looked like he would fall apart. He reached a quivering claw out to the screen.  
"D-da-daddy, c-c-come b-ba-back" the child Asriel whimpered. His voice was far lighter and more childlike but still carried enough grief and hurt to make the adult one well up inside.  
He didn't know what to do. None of this made sense. His parents were dead, which was horrible enough in and of itself but-

From out of the kitchen a turtle-monster appeared, Gerson, holding a bowl of steaming soup. He crouched down beside the younger Asriel and placed the bowl at his side.  
"For pity's sake lad, stop torturing yerself like this. We all miss your parents very much, but-"  
"I can't" the younger Asriel cut in shaking his head vigorously "I d-don't want to... without dad and mom a-and Chara... I- I don't wanna..."  
"I know this must be tough for you, lad, but you have to move on. It's been 3 months and you're still watching these videos every day. Yer the King now and our people needs ya, they need hope" the old turtle implored, but the younger Asriel barely responded.  
"Listen, your parents were heroes, when they took Chara's soul they only wanted to free us all"  
"I don't care" the younger Asriel sobbed "They're... gone. I'm all a-alone... I-I just wa-want them back..." the young goat monster whimpered, curling into a fetal position on the carpet, bawling his heart out. "Oh, my dear boy..." Gerson sighed.

Peeking in from a crack in the door the older Asriel found a few drops in his eyes as well. He could barely even imagine growing up without Chara, let alone his parents. Whenever he thought back to it all was nothing but happy memories, times and fond recollections that often gave him the strength to weather tough and dark times. Sitting on his father's lap and hearing stories about the surface, looking forward to his mother's cooking every day, playing in the garden with Chara... If he didn't have that...  
"Woah there, can I help you?" Gerson's voice suddenly asked, far too close for comfort. In fact, he was standing right in front of him, arms crossed and with a suspicious look on his face.

Asriel stepped back with a surprised bleat, so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't even noticed him  
"It's the middle of the night and even then I'm afraid King Asriel isn't taking visitors right now so unless it's very important I'd much appreciate if ye headed right on home" He tilted his head sideways, looking the older Asriel over "Say, I don't think I've seen ya before and those clothes seem mighty... royal for a nobody" his hand hovered closed to the hammer on his shell "You wouldn't happen to be some two-bit whippersnappin' burglar, would ya?"  
Asriel threw his hands up in surrender "N-no sir! I just, uh, got lost and I... don't really know how I got here. I mean, I, uhh, it's a long story" he gibbered. Gerson looked just about ready to grab him by the horns and force him out when a little timid voice behind him spoke up.  
"Wh-who is it, mister Gerson?" The younger Asriel asked from behind the turtle's leg, peeking up at him.  
"Bah, just some kind of punk. Don't worry lad, I'll have him outta here in the flick of a nose"  
"No-no, it's fine" the younger Asriel stepped forward. His eyes were still red and cheeks still puffy from the tears but he still put on a brave face.  
"Howdy. I-is there anything the K-king of Monsters can help you with?"

The older Asriel was taken aback for a moment. All this tragedy and he was still able and willing to lend a paw. Was he like that too when he was younger? He wondered.  
"Do... we know each other? You look... familiar"  
It felt surreal talking to a different version of himself, and yet, for all the timeline shenanigans he had been involved in Asriel was somewhat surprised this was the first time he had tried it.  
But what to say? He still didn't fully understand what had happened, other than that his whole family was gone.  
"H-howdy" he began with a small bow "I'm... kinda new in town – been living on the outskirts of Snowdin and I heard something had happened with the king and queen. I just... wondered what"  
The younger Asriel's face fell and he stifled a sniffle, quickly drowned out by an annoyed grunt from Gerson "And ya couldn't be bothered to ask Literally anyone else than the poor boy who lost everything!? It ain't exactly a secret what happened"  
"It... it's fine, Mister Gerson" the younger Asriel wiped his face with his sleeve.  
"It really isn't" the turtle monster sighed "But fine, I'll give ya the rundown; Chara, our new king's human sibling, cooked up some awful ploy to break the Barrier, something about taking their soul. They asked Asriel here but... he refused"  
A mournful look of regret came over the young Asriel's face. The older one couldn't help but wonder if he had actually made the right decision himself if this was the alternative.  
"So instead, they asked Queen Toriel who, for some reason I still cannot fathom agreed" he sighed, no doubt conflicted himself about what had happened then "When they returned... they were so brutally mangled you couldn't even tell it was her. She wandered into the garden and... died right in Asgore's arms" he shook his head "Our king was so shaken by it he screamed bloody vengeance. He took Chara's soul from the dust of our queen and went through the Barrier, seeking his wife's murderers... but this time the humans were prepared... he returned a day later, covered in blood and battle scars, but his body too broken to go on. He also gave out in the garden, right as little Asriel here was mourning his mother his father came along and joined her"

The younger Asriel was shaking, tearful hiccups springing from him every other moment. The older Asriel could scarcely imagine how hurt and lost he must have been. When his dad had died to the Void Spirits week ago, he had felt so scared and afraid he turned to find solace at the bottom of a bottle with Frisk only barely managing to snap him out of it. Losing both his parents and at such an age...

"Well then, does that satisfy yer curiosity in a little boy's misery, stranger?" Gerson huffed, looking at him as if he was Jerry himself.  
He nodded solemnly "It must have been horrible for you"  
"Ya think? It was horrible for everybody. Every day we have more and more monsters losing hope and falling down. We're broken" Gerson spat, suddenly catching himself with a look of alarm as he noticed the younger Asriel whimpering beside him.  
"Ach, sorry lad, didn't mean it like that. We'll... we'll get through this" he cooed to the younger Asriel.

The older one lowered his head in thought. When he had died in his own timeline, his father had been strong enough to keep monsterkind together through the despair that had almost overwhelmed them, nearly at the cost of his own sanity. His younger self wasn't nearly as resilient, he doubted anyone else in the Underground was... but they would have to try.  
"Sounds to me... like you need a change in rulership" he said, bit colder than he had intended. The younger one' eyes widened in surprise while Gerson snapped to attention, a thundercloud on his face "I beg your pardon, but who the shell do ya think you are telling us what to do!?"  
The older Asriel ignored him, focusing instead on the younger one "Asriel... I can barely even imagine what you're going through right now, but... you still carry an obligation to all of monsterkind. They need hope if they're ever to move on from this... and that's something we're simply not strong enough to give them right now"  
The younger Asriel looked up with wet, wondrous eyes "'We're'?" he asked before, as if a light bulb went off in his head, he gave a slight gasp.

"Yes, we" the older one kneeled down, reached into his robes around his neck and gently pulled out his Heart Locked from where it had never left its place. The younger one looked back and forth between the one in his paw and the one he had himself around his neck in bewildered confusion "Wha- how-!?"  
"As I said, it's a long story" the older Asriel smiled kindly "But I know sadness and loss as well. I know it's unreasonable to ask this of you, but you can't let this bitterness and resentment grow within you. If you let it fester and rot inside you it'll only cause more misery in the future"  
"Bu... but how?" The younger Asriel asked teary-eyed "I can't forget them, I can't stop thinking about how much I miss them. It just... it just hurts so much" he snapped, almost angrily.  
"I know it does" the older one replied "but you don't have to carry it all alone. There are so many people out there who can help you"  
"Wh-what? Who?"  
The older Asriel looked aside, out the window of the living room and into the garden beyond "I once... did something bad, a lot of things actually, something I regret even to this day. If it wasn't for my friends I never would have moved on from it, let alone escape from it" he looked back down at the younger Asriel "So listen, if you ever need to talk to someone with a fire and passion in her heart, there's a monster in Waterfall called Undyne. If you ever need to geek out about your interests, there's a young woman in Hotland called Alphys and if you ever just need to relax with a few good friends there's a pair of skeleton brother in Snowdin called sans and Papyrus. They'd all be more than happy to help you, I'm sure"

The younger Asriel looked contemplative "I... think I have heard about Alphys before but, I don't don't really know her, nor anyone else. My only real friend was... Chara" he whimpered.  
"Well, if you ask me, the best kind of cure for anything that troubles your soul is friends, and sometimes the best way to solve your problems is to help others with theirs" the older Asriel opened his arm and instinctively, almost without thinking, the younger one went into the hug, burying his small muzzle in his shoulder.  
"There's... something many of my friends often said to me. I didn't really believe it that often, but perhaps you need to hear it as well" the older Asriel cooed gently "You are worth saving, Asriel"

The younger one sobbed quietly, pulling tightly on the older one's robes. Beside them, Gerson looked down in a curious manner "Who... are you he asked?"  
The older Asriel was about to reply but the meek voice of the younger spoke first "You're... me, aren't you?"  
"...Yes"  
"But, you're so strong and cool!"  
"Heh, you think so? Well, if that's true it's only because I had friends who've always supported and helped me" He gently pulled away, holding the younger Asriel by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes "And you can have that too. Making friends is one of the best ways to grow, and it's only by growing that we can move on"  
For the first time, the younger Asriel's face a wasn't completely consumed by grief. A glint of hope appeared in his emerald green eyes.  
"You're not ready to be king, but one day you will be and together with your new friends I'm... I'm sure you'll make a good king... Asriel" the older one aid with a strange sense of satisfaction in his chest.

The younger one looked down for a few moments, quiet. Then, his paws curled at his side and he looked up "O-Okay! I-I'll be the best king there ever was! I'll make sure everyone is happy a-and I'll make peace with the humans so that no one ever has to lose their loved ones and be sad ever again!" He fired off with passion. The older one couldn't help but feel the same kind of pride and satisfaction from before again.

"That's all well and good you two" Gerson cut in "But if not Asriel, who'll be king, then? The Dreemurrs have ruled since as far back as anyone can remember!"  
"Our rule is only a valid as our ability to persecute it justly" the older Asriel repeated the line his dad had often told him. Judging by the small gasp from the younger one he recognized it as well "If we can't provide for our people then someone else needs to take our place. Someone with the wisdom, caring, protectiveness and hope that we need"  
As one, the two Asriels craned their heads up to look at Gerson. It took him a few seconds to realize what they were implying.  
"Wha- now wait just a gosh darn minute, I can't be king! Only experience I have in leading is leading myself into bad situations!"  
"You're the only one who can" The older Asriel said "He isn't ready, neither in experience nor mentally and you're one of the oldest, most knowledgeable monsters alive. Please, Gerson"  
The venerable turtle stepped back for a bit, dragging a hand across his face with a groan  
"My word... how did I get into this mess" He sighed.

"So you'll do it?" The older Asriel implored. Geron was silent for a while, face scrunched in deep thought. He looked like he was about to refuse but as a weak "Please, Mister Gerson" came from the younger Asriel he finally relented.  
"Oh alright, fine, but only until our young Dreemurr here is ready"  
Immediately as the words left him, he became stock-still, as did the younger Asriel, as if time had stopped, and as the older Asriel took a few steps back in surprise and as saw the still clock on the wall he realized that was exactly what had happened.  
"What in the..."  
"Well, look at that, another timeline saved" Chara stated from where they had suddenly appeared behind him "I heard you had gotten yourself a few cool titles; The Dragon of Ebott, The Hero-Prince of Monsters and whatnot but I honestly didn't think my meek little brother could live up to all that. Shows what I know. though, maybe I should have seen it coming. Everyone in your family has some kind of chronic hero syndrome"  
"A lot has changed, Chara" Asriel replied "As a Dreemurr, I have always carried a responsibility to monsters, that will never change no matter the timeline, and if I'm incapable of carrying it out I must make way for someone who can"  
Chara sighed somewhat pleasantly in response "Ahh, there's that idealism I've always admired about you, blessed with a good family and a good life but always so ready to throw yourself in harm's way to protect others"  
Chara casually reached out with their hand and slowly cut another hole in reality as if their fingers were a clusters of knives "On the surface, most human royalty I've heard of always considered it a pain dealing with their subjects, they'd far rather just sit back and grow fat on the labors and taxes of them, and only if something threatened their power or wealth would they stir. But not you, mom or dad. You're royalty, not only in title but also in heart and soul"  
"I like making people happy" Asriel replied nonchalantly "I'm just lucky I was born into a family where I had many opportunities to do so"

A wicked grin came over the First Human "Yes, in fact, you have no idea how lucky you are, and I still intend to show you" they gestured towards the newly-opened rift in reality. Once again a group of Void spirits appeared at their command, calmly pulling Asriel along into it. As he neared he could strongly sense the difference of the atmosphere between this timeline and the one he was entering.

Whereas the first one had reeked of death and destruction, this one emanating a thick pall of grief and despair, the one he was entering carried a nearly overwhelming aura of Fear and Evil.

* * *

Determination **is a heck of a thing, isn't it, Frisk? The power to change fate and destiny by sheer force of will. It is a power I know well. It is a dangerous power.**  
 **Determination has no allegiance. You can be a cruel, brutal overlord with a will of iron, or a kind, gentle soul who is easily cowed by raised voices... or vice-versa.**  
 **Have you ever heard the saying "You are your own worst enemy?"**

As Frisk's senses came to in the new timeline, she quickly became aware that she was once again in a cave, but one that was much more familiar. The cavernous ground and cave walls around her were artificially smoothed and pleasant to the touch, easily reflecting the light from the sconces. She was close to the Underground castle she reckoned, not far from the throne room and the Barrier  
"S-stay back! I'm warning you!"

Frisk felt her breath escape her at the sound of the fear-struck voice of someone she hadn't heard in years; Flowey.  
"You got a sick sense of humor, you know that!?"  
She silently moved closer to the voice, her heart pounding in apprehension at whatever could make the sadistic but tragic flower so terrified.  
"Please! I'm begging you, please..."  
She rounded a corner, finding the throne room in front of her. A large mound of dust was on the floor, Flowey too, as well as a human she recognized a bit too well.  
"Please don't kill me..."  
With a derisive chortle, the child-Frisk slashed with the Real Knife, cutting the flower at the stem and reducing it to a small pile of dust beside the larger one.  
"Tch, even when they're begging for their lives they don't give any good EXP anymore, what a pain" The child-Frisk groaned.

Knowing who Flowey really was and seeing him cut down had shaken the adult-Frisk, but it was still nothing compared to what she had witnessed in the previous timeline. Finding her younger self, however, with hair wild and unkempt, clothes ragged and torn and covered in a thin layer of glittering monster dust had stunned her. Murder was the most heinous and vile action imaginable to her and the notion she might be a remorseless killer in some timeline felt like a super-powered slap to the face.  
"Oh hey, another human" the child Frisk suddenly noted in a sickeningly childish voice "and here everyone was giving me the spiel that I was the only one down here. A shame you're so old, killing children always gives way more EXP" the child sighed, raising the Real Knife high in a reverse grip and advancing on her. Now having a better look at her younger, eviler self, Frisk only felt her disdain rise. Her geno-version was covered in bruises, their clothes were cut and leaking blood in several places and through the slits of their eyes, a baleful crimson light shone.

But for all the threat posed to her, she could only look around in disbelief "Why... would you do something like this?" she asked, with the child giving a casual shrug in response "'Cause it feels nice getting stronger. If I had known killing could give you such power I would have started long ago"  
"You don't know what you've done. You could have had a family, friends for life, anyth-"  
"But I don't want any of that nonsense" Geno-Frisk cut in "All that matters is growing stronger, watching your numbers grow, making you powerful enough to take on even tougher monsters. It's how these games work"  
"...This is nothing more than a game to you? These are people's lives you're ruining here! Kind, good people! And you would throw all that away because it makes you feel big and strong?" Frisk spat with disdain.  
Geno-Frisk huffed a dire laugh "Trying to appeal to my better side? Don't bother. Some kind of tall skeleton, Pyparas or something tried that before. I cut his head off without a second's thought...like this!"

In the blink of an eye, Geno-Frisk flashed across the remaining distance between them, slashing the Real Knife as Frisk's throat. But, without flinching or even blinking, Frisk merely took a small step back, the merest of movement needed to avoid the knife. The Geno-child quickly reversed their grip on the knife and stabbed it towards her heart so fast the weapon was practically a blur, but Frisk casually pivoted their shoulder backward, once again causing the knife to strike nothing but air.

She backed away, creating some space while Geno-Frisk stood back up and rolled their shoulders with a groan "Great, you're gonna be one of 'Those' bosses, huh? Alright, got the feeling I was nearing the endgame anyway" Geno-Frisk said.

Across the room, the adult Frisk looked at their evil counterpart with undisguised disdain. What they had done was the absolute antithesis of everything she stood for. That it was apparently herself only made her revulsion that much deeper.  
But beside her disgust, a mote of fear hid in her. If this Geno-Frisk had the same Determination she had, and her powers to SAVE and RESET...

There wasn't really any way for either of them to win.

* * *

 **So yeah, a bit of AU hopping ahead. I'm not planning on going into any established one... but I guess we'll see where the timelines take us.**

 **Until then!**


	21. Bad Ends Part 2

**Oh darn, how'd this happen? Another chapter actually coming out?**

 **Whelp, I could give you the old recipe for why this is almost 3 months late: 1 ounce of Christmas, a handful of New Year, some mixed spices of moving out and jobhunting, topped off with a barrel-load of general laziness.**

 **But, at the very least the chapter is one of the longer ones, so let's see where we left off...**

* * *

The area around Ebott City was in a state of environmental dissonance. The city itself seemed almost deserted, with families huddled inside their homes waiting for the end, in whatever shape and form it might come in, the streets overburdened with an atmosphere of cold fear and resignation. In the fields surrounding the city, the sky was filled with flashes and arcs of magical projectiles and the air brimming with screams, shouts and guttural, hungering yells as the Royal Guard attempted to fight off the Void Spirits.  
Fittingly enough, the one place that seemed to emit just a fraction of calm and peace was the small buffer zone between the city and the raging battle. A small gathering of tents with small field kitchens places to sleep, and, perhaps most importantly, places of reassurance.

It was this specific thing Toriel was engaged with. Huddled around her inside a tent enchanted with sound-dampening magics sat a circle of Royal Guard, tired and weary in both body and soul.  
"I just... can't believe any of what's happening" began a leonine-like monster "The dead coming back, wanting to take our souls just as things were finally looking up for us" she groaned, dragging a tired paw across her face "I just got married a month ago, I thought I was going to be the happiest woman alive, but no, instead... we get this. It just isn't fair"  
"There are not many things in life that are fair" Toriel replied in a calm voice that still nonetheless brimmed with confidence "The War before this one was not fair, us being exiled underground was a gross injustice and this Void War is also completely undeserved" She leaned a little towards the leonine, taking her paw into her own "But you know what? We survived the War, we escaped the Underground and we will overcome this as well. Fiercer times than this has besieged us before and yet here we still are and here we will remain. The night is always darkest just before the dawn"  
"You-you think so?" the lioness asked in a quivering voice, carrying just a hint of careful hope.  
"I know so" The former queen replied, leaning back in her Chairiel with a motherly chuckle "an old crone like me has seen her share. It is another injustice that we have to ask you to risk your very souls for this, but I want you to know that whatever the outcome, whatever happens, I am so deeply proud of each and every one of you"  
The leonine was quiet for a few seconds, but everyone around could just about notice how her posture became more confident. In the end, she gave a strong nod "Thank you, my queen, I won't let you down"

Toriel didn't correct her. She hadn't been queen for a long time now, but many monsters still referred to her as such. In some way, it was even more flattering now than back when it was her real title.  
She turned to the next guard, a smaller, skittish looking woman that seemed a mix between a fox and a raccoon with a bushy looking tail "And what ails you the most, brave one?" the former queen asked.  
The guard opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking away as if she was somewhat ashamed, but then, with a deep breath, relented "For me, it's this... incessant waiting. I heard the Captain talk about how this battle is a foregone conclusion" her face deepened into a concerned, shamed scowl "I have a little sister at home, the only family I have left really. If... if letting these Void Spirits get hold of you is as bad as they say, eternal, soulless existence and torture, then maybe... I can't let something like that happen to her, maybe I could at least save her from that if I... did it myself. Stars, I feel so horrible saying this" the raccoon-fox whimpered, angrily wiping a few tears away.

Toriel nodded understandingly, reaching down and handing the guard a handkerchief "We rarely get to choose how our end comes, or in what form, but we do often get to choose how to use what time we have left. Do you really want your last actions in this life to be of sororicide?"  
"Well, no, but, if it can keep my sister from such a horrible end - if I can at least make sure she can rest easy, then... maybe It'd be worth it" the guard replied with a dangerous note of resolution in her voice.  
"... and what if the Captain is wrong?" Toriel flatly stated after a few moments.  
"W-what?"  
"I have every respect for our captain's competence, but this is the same woman who once believed my daughter was the greatest threat to our people, and that the only way to escape the Underground was to kill her and claim her soul, she has been wrong before" Toriel moved her gaze directly to the guard's eyes, seemingly pinning her to the floor "What if you went through with your kin-slaying, well-meaning as it might be, and we then prevailed in this battle? Would you rob your sister of her future just because you are scared?" she icily asked.  
The horrified look on the guard was answer enough.  
"Your concern for your sister is amicable, but it is not for you to choose how someone should live or die. I understand you only want what is best for her, but you must not let fear drive you to such damnable actions. Taking a life is a mistake that is not so easily rectified"  
The guard's lower lip quivered for a bit as if she was trying to summon up a reason for her ploy, but eventually, her head fell and she sat like a chastised child "You're... you're right, of course. I- I don't know what I was thinking, I just-"  
"You have nothing to be ashamed of" Toriel leaned down and like with the last guard took her paw into her own "Take comfort in knowing that even in these dark times, where even our souls are at stake, your first thoughts are still the well-being of your loved ones. It warms my heart knowing we have such brave young monsters like you protecting us"  
The fox-raccoon-like monster seemed perplexed for a moment, but gradually, all signs of shame faded from her face, replaced with a hint of new-found conviction "Th... that's why I became a Royal Guard, my queen"  
"So you could protect others?"  
"Yes, and my little sister"  
Toriel leaned back gently and gracefully, nodding at the guard "I am sure she is very proud of you, as am I"  
"Thank you, my queen"

Toriel replied with a warm smile but underneath laid a growing concern. When the guard had stated that her reason for joining the Royal Guard was to protect others, the last guard to visit her, a brutish looking monster that seemed to be made of rock, one of the rare examples of elementals left to monsterkind, had sighed darkly. Toriel turned to him, calmly gesturing for him to explain what most troubled him.  
The rock monster looked back at the other guards who had preceded him, almost with a hint of envy in his obsidian eyes, then, with another sigh, he shrugged.  
"Well, mam... I got nothing" He rasped with a voice as dry as the stone he was made of.  
"Hm? Nothing?" Toriel mused.  
"Yes, I mean... I have nothing to risk my life for. No family, no friends no passion or drive even. Only reasons I joined was because I was decent enough at causing damage and it made a living, but now..." he looked down at his lap, and as Toriel followed she noticed with a quiet startle that he was holding rock-knife "I don't want to die to those... those spooky bastards out there and I don't want to fight them. I know we're the last line between them and the rest of the city, but... I just can't bring myself to care enough, to have more concern for them than I have for myself. I have nothing to live for, never had, really, not like my two colleagues here" he nodded to the two other guards besides him.  
"I know it's cowardly, but I suppose I've had a somewhat similar idea as the last guard; better to off myself than to let the Void Spirits do it and drag me down with them. I don't really want to die, but... lesser of two evils I suppose. I don't even know why I came in here, suppose I wanted a second opinion or something, I dunno" the rock monster shrugged, slowly twirling the rock-knife in his hands.

Toriel was quiet for a moment, eyes closed in contemplation "And what if, as I asked the one before you, we triumph in this battle, if you taking your own life ends up being for naught?" she asked coolly.  
The rock monster shrugged again with indifference "That would suck, sure, but it wouldn't be a big loss for anyone. If it happened and I had the chance to go back why would I? There's nothing for me to come back to. No, better safe than sorry" he finished with a dark, self-deprecating laugh.  
"There is always something or someone to live for, you just have to open your eyes to see it" Toriel stated strongly. The rock-monster was about to argue when she started up again "You may think that no one cares for you and that in turn leads you to not care about others, but you're wrong. I may not be queen anymore but when I was I considered each and every one of you as my children, and I still do. So believe me when I say that taking your own life won't solve anything, it will just ensure that you will never learn how much you really have"

The rock monster was silent for a few moments, biting his lip but still not looking entirely convinced "How can you be so sure I'm wrong?" he asked.  
The tough facade the queen was wearing faded, giving way to the more pleasant, calm smile that so many monsters found calming "Well, why don't you ask your friends?" she said and gestured to the other two guards.  
Both of them were staring at him, the leonine with angry eyes and clenched paws and the raccoon-fox in disbelief and shock.  
"My goodness... I had no idea you felt like that at all" she whispered "You always seemed so shy, but... in a cool way"  
"I-" the rock monster tried but was quickly cut off.  
"Are you stupid or something!?" the leonine monster snarled "Nothing to live for!? Dude, you're one of the strongest guys in the Royal Guard! I saw you beat two Knight-Knights in arm wrestling once, one on each arm! What the hell are you on about no one caring about you!? You're super cool!"

The rock monster looked about as surprised as if his colleagues had just grown a second head "Are... are you serious?" he muttered.  
"Of course we are, rock-for-brains! I can't believe you hadn't noticed. You always seemed to reserved so we left you alone mostly, but if this is how you're feeling then stuff gotta change!" The leonine declared, bashing a paw into the ground to emphasize her point "Once we win this crap and hold the victory celebrations I'm taking you dancing, and I'm not taking a 'no' for an answer!"  
"And I'm gonna tell everyone about that one time you broke Captain Undyne's spear in half during sparring, no one's ever done that before, it was so cool!" The Fox-Racoon added.

Toriel gently sat back in her chairiel, chuckling quietly as the two monsters keep piling on the reasons why taking your own life was never a valid option, and the rock-monster growing more and more wide-eyed as the sad but ultimately false world-view he had built for himself crumbled all around him. Eventually, as his responses became nothing more than a plethora of "huh?" "what?" and "really?" his two colleagues pounced on him, intending to drag him back out the tent, declaring that he needed to do something else than sit around moping. Unfortunately, as strong as they were, they found the rock monster too heavy, deciding instead to wait for him outside but demanding he'd come out soon, otherwise they'd tell Undyne, something that made even the rock-monster shake audibly.

For the moment, only Toriel and the rock monster was left, surrounded by an awkward but not uncomfortable silence. Then, with a quiet laugh, the rock monster bowed deeply "Thank you, my queen" his dry voice said, but Toriel waved it off "My good man, you're out there fighting for the very future of our species. Even if that is not something you believe in wholeheartedly there is nothing me or my family can ever do to repay your bravery. All I did was open your eyes and your heart"

The rock monster contemplated this for a moment, before nodding, bowing again and then headed out the tent, leaving the former queen alone for the time being. No doubt another group of monsters with issues to be resolved would soon step in and the process would start all over, but it was a duty she found supremely satisfying.  
It was unfortunate that so many, monsters and humans alike, always focused on the bad and negative aspects of their life, in some cases even driving them to despair or to let fear rule their actions, even when there was so much good around them.  
In a way, perhaps this was why she found it so easy, she mused. Often, all she had to do was point all the good aspects of the monster's life that they had simply overlooked or explain that letting their fears get the better of them would only lead to yet more misery.  
And yet, she could all too easily understand how people could let it happen. She had done so herself in the past.

And in a way, she deeply wished she could head out and talk to someone about her own fears. The monsters that came to her came with worries about themselves, their lives or their futures.

She carried a worry about the life and future of her children, wherever they were.

* * *

The Real Knife soared through the air, cutting, slashing and stabbing but never able to hit its target; Paci-Frisk, who dodged and weaved as if choreographed, never losing sight of Geno-Frisk and never dropping her disapproving glare.

"Stop looking at me like!" Geno-Frisk snarled through teeth gritted in anger, slashing the knife at her neck but missing as Paci-Frisk took a casual step back "Fight back, weakling!".  
Geno-Frisk stabbed out, causing her target to have to pivot her body sideways to dodge. The Evil Frisk seized the opportunity, launching forward in an attempt to tackle the now unbalanced Paci-Frisk to the floor.  
Instead, all she got was an armful of empty air and a lurching sensation as she tripped on an outstretched foot, collapsing onto the floor with a searingly sharp pain in her side.  
Geno-Frisk pushed herself up, barely able to ignore the pain of the Real Knife now embedded in her side.  
Everything about this was so infuriating! No longer getting any good EXP, this weirdo who wouldn't stand still, accidentally falling on her own knife. As she heard Geno-Frisk sigh in disappointment behind her she almost thought her knuckles would crack from being clenched so hard.

"All those lives you've wasted... and for what? Watching a few numbers go up?" The adult Frisk posed.  
"Shut the hell up! You don't know anything about me" the smaller Frisk growled, managing to get to a knee.  
"I know more than you think..." she replied coolly. A shadow fell over her face as she began circling her younger self "Let me guess, you went to Mt. Ebott because you think maybe, just maybe, you disappearing would finally make someone give a damn about you. You got tired of everybody just barely acknowledging your existence and thought you'd show them by making yourself vanish, right?"  
"Shut... up..." the younger Frisk growled with an almost animalistic voice.  
"And then you found the monsters. Lovable, goofy, most more than willing to accept you... and easy prey for someone as 'Determined' as you. You didn't see a group of people in need of help and rescue, did you? No, all you saw was a font of power, a way for you to finally get strong enough for people to start noticing you" Frisk spat.  
Her younger self grinned, a horrific sight of a blood and dust-splattered child, knife still embedded in her side, looking like the image of mindless murder itself "And how couldn't they?" Geno-Frisk asked "With the LV I have how could anyone fail to finally realize I'm not someone people can just push around? Once I get out of here I'll make them all sorry! I'll make sure everyone knows how strong I have become!"  
"Strong?" The older Frisk huffed in disgust "There's absolutely nothing strong, powerful or even respectable about what you have done. This desire for power you have is nothing but a poison small people will all to readily take. This isn't about you feeling like you deserved to be feared, this is about you being sick and tired of not being able to act like a massive jerkwad to everyone you meet, so your only response is to become so powerful you think you'll rise above the consequences" Frisk said "I've seen it before. Some people just can't handle not being allowed to do what they want so all they do is strive towards being powerful enough that no retribution is possible instead of trying to deal with their own issues"

The younger Frisk looked thoughtful for a few moments, before merely shrugging "That all sounds very sweet, but I think I'd still prefer having people cower before me. Maybe it's not as 'right and proper' as you'd like but I think I'll manage" she huffed sarcastically.  
"Not likely" the older one replied "Not as long as The Barrier is still up"  
"The Barrier?"  
"I'm sure you've heard about it by now, and how you need a human and boss monster soul to shatter it of which, thanks to your senseless killing, there aren't any left of. You're trapped here, just as much as these innocent monsters you've been hunting, but hey! I'm sure being oh so great and powerful was worth it, right?"  
The younger Frisk merely sneered, leaned over and spat a globule of bloody phlegm on the floor.  
"So I need a boss monster soul? Whatever, I'll just-"  
"LOAD?" The older one cut in, lowering her face a bit "No, you wont, not as long as I am here"

Geno-Frisk's reply was a look of wide-eyed disbelief "Wha- how- how are you- I can't-"  
"You're not the only one with Determination, and I'm not letting you go back unless I know it's to undo the atrocities you have done"  
The younger Frisk was the absolute image of outrage; wild eyes, flaring nostrils, and gritted teeth. She looked up at her older, better self with undisguised rage "So you only you can SAVE and LOAD? Then I'll just make you do it for me!" She snarled. In one quick move, she yanked the Real Knife from her side and slashed it through the air, sending a jet of her blood towards Paci-Frisk's face and into her eye. The Geno-Child immediately followed up with a jump towards her target, knife held high in preparation for a disemboweling downward slash. As she slashed down she grinned as felt the familiar sensation of her weapon splitting flesh and shedding blood... immediately followed by the more uncommon sensation of her weapon suddenly stopping, jerking her to a halt.

The reason why she stopped caused her burning anger to immediately dissipate into cold disbelief. Paci-Frisk had caught the blade of her knife in her hand and held it hard enough to make her unable to rip it lose. Blood was seeping through her fingers and down her arm, staining her clothes, but she held the same disproving scowl at her, not flinching the slightest as her fingers were cut to ribbons, practically on her own volition.

"Who... what are you?" Geno-Frisk gasped.  
"Everything you could have been, everything you could have had" she replied.  
"Bu-but you don't have any LOVE! How can you be this strong!?" Geno-Frisk gibbered, frantically trying to rip her knife free, but even with her fingers slick with her own blood Paci-Frisk didn't give her an inch.  
"You're still clinging onto the belief that LOVE makes you stronger. It doesn't. It just makes you better at ruining lives, even your own"  
"M-my own?"  
"This mad desire for power you have is a poison but one that kills everyone and everything around you, saving you for last. You want to be on top, that's fine, but not if it means trampling everyone else into the dust. No one is going to respect you. No one is going to revere you. You'll get nothing but fear and hatred walking this path"  
"Bu-"  
 **"Just look at yourself!"** Paci-Frisk snapped "Covered in dust and blood, screaming about great and strong you are when this is all you have to show for it" With a strong tug on the Real Knife, Paci-Frisk suddenly yanked her younger counterpart to the ground, threw the knife away into the darkness and grabbed Geno-Frisk by the arm, pulling her along "You aren't a master of anything, least of all yourself. You're nothing but a slave to that voice inside your head that keeps screaming 'More!'"  
The Evil Child was too flustered to offer any protest, wordlessly shuffling along as their older counterpart pulled her to an edge overlooking the Underground Capital of Monsters  
"Is this what you want?" Paci-Frisk hissed and pulled her up so she got a better look. By all accounts, the city should be hustling and bustling, a true beacon of a people's perseverance against dire odds and cruel fates.  
But instead, there was nothing but silence and howling winds running through empty streets. The lights were off and not a soul in sight.  
For the first time, Geno-Frisk felt the slightest tinge of something else than murderous glee.  
"Is this what you wanted?" The older one repeated "Because it's all you're going to get. Nothing but silence to commemorate how 'great' mindlessly killing makes you"

"But... but it felt so good. Growing stronger and better. This-this can't be right" Geno-Frisk muttered.  
"You don't get stronger by killing" Paci-Frisk spat "If anything you grow weaker. As your LOVE and desire for more power grows you start to lose grip on your morals, ethics, sanity, even your very soul if you're not careful. So it's not just that power will destroy you. It's that the urge itself you must not feed. That desire for power is a vicious, ravenous animal and feeding it only makes it strong enough to tear its way out of your belly and go on a bloody rampage... like it has here" Paci-Frisk nudged her towards the view of the city to emphasize her point "You have nothing to gain and everything to lose following this path"  
Geno-Frisk looked over the city in despondency. Her breathing grew heavy as the enormity of her mistake began settling on her shoulder "Bu-but then what should I do?" she asked out loud.  
"For your own sake, do better" the older Frisk knelled down so they were roughly the same height. "I promise you if you tackle this adventure with an open mind instead of a closed fist you will earn so much more. Friends for life, wisdom, love, even a family that will never stop loving you and who will always give you the attention you need, you just have to earn it. In all things, a calm heart must prevail"

Geno-Frisk was silent, still looking over the city with her eyes briefly flickering in thought. Then, with a nod of her head, she turned with a look of acceptance on her face.  
Then she turned completely still, time was frozen, a sign that her time here was up.  
"You just aborted a Genocide Run, Frisky" Chara applauded somewhere behind her "And just before she would have had been forced to trade her soul to a, heh, certain someone. You've actually saved a lot of lives in this timeline"  
Frisk rose to face the other child "I doubt that's why you brought me here, somehow"  
"Quite so, it was to show you that what you are is nothing special"  
Frisk tilted her head curiously, unsure whether it was an insult or something else.  
"Frisk, everyone knows that your Determination is legendary, but you're also a pillar of morality. Once your mind is set absolutely nothing, not even death will stop you from doing the right thing. Haven't you ever wondered **why** you're like this? What made you what you are? The answer is right here, in this timeline" Chara spread their arms out as if to encompass the world around them **"There is none!"** The First Child exclaimed almost giddy "Your pure heart is nothing more than chance! You could just have easily been a mindless murderer or an indecisive rogue, never able to fully commit to pacifism or genocide! Nothing about you came about by your own choices!"

Frisk seemed unfazed. She briefly craned her head to look at her younger, now hopefully reformed self beside her "I think she might disagree" she simply said.  
"Bah, a fluke. If I had searched a bit longer I bet I could have found a timeline where she, or should I say, **You** , would never even consider abandoning a genocide run" Chara folder their arms with a confident smirk "How does it make you feel? That everything you have achieved is nothing more than chance?" they asked.  
Frisk merely shrugged after a few moments "Guess I got lucky"  
"... Seriously? Is that it? 'I got lucky'?"  
"If what you say is true then there is nothing I could have done. Why worry about it then, if I can't do anything about it?"  
"Bu-"  
"But if I may, what you're saying stinks worse than Undyne's socks after a long day of kicking butt. We always have a choice, even if we don't realize it"  
"... I don't know whether you're one of the most complicated persons I've ever met or just really simple-minded"  
"Honestly, neither do I" Frisk agreed with a shrug and a friendly smile. A gesture that no doubt ticked the First Child off something fierce as a gang of spirits suddenly grabbed Frisk from behind. She didn't struggle. Even with time being of the essence, seeing the other timelines had shown Frisk things she never could have imagined about herself and others.

She just hoped Chara had the same experience.

* * *

 **Where you come from has a lot of say in how you eventually turn out I find. Just look at us. I was a demon born to humans who never failed to remind me of that fact, and who did their utmost to show and tell me what demons are.**

 **But you, Asriel.**

 **You were a love child. Mom and dad didn't conceive you because they wanted an heir to the throne or because they were worried about the royal line dying out. They simply wanted someone to shower their overflowing love with.**

 **It's no wonder you are how you are. Anyone raised by the likes of mom and dad would turn out to be a good, well-adjusted goat.**

 **… Or would they? The soul is a nearly bottomless cup and even though it may be filled with love doesn't mean there isn't something else more pivotal swirling about.**

When Asriel came too he fully expected to open his eyes to another nightmare – a timeline where a mistake on his or someone else part had led to the downfall of everything he held dear.  
Which was why he was very surprised to look up and find himself inside a grandiose hall with large stained glass windows bearing art of monsters, most clad in the livery of the Royal Guard. The walls themselves seemed to be made of gold, stretching up for almost a hundred meters, and various gemstones were inserted into a wall in such a way that they formed yet more figures. None of which he recognized.  
It was opulence incarnate, and all a bit too much he conceded.

The hall was about as long as it was tall, with the far end terminating in a set of huge double doors that seemed to be carved out of ivory, while the other end held a throne that no doubt would have bedazzled Asriel with its splendor if it wasn't because the occupant immediately sucked all of his attention in.

With all the opulence and grandeur around him, Asriel almost expected someone like his ancestor, Parides, perhaps a timeline where he had won. But the figure wasn't Parides, it was someone he knew far more intimately and whom he feared a lot more.  
Long, black robes, white fur, sleek, almost snake-like eyes, black lines running across its face and an overbearing aura of supreme, demonic royalty.  
The Absolute God of Hyperdeath... casually filing his claws while kicking his legs.

Asriel felt cold running down his back, but it was buffeted by a strange sense of awe and pride. A long time ago, the God of Hyperdeath was everything he wanted to be; cool, powerful, strong, nigh undefeatable-  
"... devilishly handsome"  
"Well, that too, I guess, but- Wait, what!?" Asriel spluttered at the sudden intrusion. Beside him was Chara, glancing up at the God of Hyperdeath with wide eyes "Wow, do you really look like that with a few human souls inside you? I never really got a good look myself" they mused.  
"Chara, what are you doing here!?"  
"Oh, I sensed I had a presence here as well, at least, this timeline's version of me and I hadn't really explored it before, thought I'd take a look alongside my best friend" Chara explained, coyly turning their head to look up at him "Oh, and we're only partially inside the timeline so we should be completely invisible to everyone. I don't think Mr. Super-goat up there would like us snooping around.

Asriel could only stare dumbfounded when a knocking resounded on the large doors at the far end of the hallway, somehow clearly audible all the way up here. The God of Hyperdeath looked up and grinned at the door "Who is it?" he asked.  
"spy" came a reply that sounded like sans's voice.  
"Spy who?"  
"i de-spy-se everything you've done"  
The God of Hyperdeath chuckled lowly before flicking his fingers. In an instant the humongous double doors were flung aside, revealing a tired and weary-looking sans beyond. The God made another gesture, curling his finger towards himself as if beckoning the skeleton closer. Suddenly, the whole hallway contracted like a harmonica and the far end flew towards him, coming to a stop at the foot of the throne. In the span of two seconds, sans had been brought through a walk that might have taken 5 minutes on foot.

Asriel let out a pent up breath. He knew the God of Hyperdeath was powerful, but he had never seen anything like this. Being able to alter the dimensions of objects, much less buildings was practically pure fantasy. But then again, nothing was impossible for the most powerful being in the world. The God of Hyperdeath's voice had a strange rumbling, echoing to it, giving every word more potency, on top of how supremely confident and authoritative it was. He sounded unyielding, powerful, uncompromising, intelligent and, most terrifying to Asriel, still managed to sound like him.

"Come in, come in my little fly on the wall" The God of Hyperdeath beckoned, beaming widely "So tell me, do we still have any dissenters out there? Anyone with cold feet who needs to be, urahaha, warmed up?"  
"you enjoy this far too much" sans said under his breath, to which the God only laughed and spread his arms wide.  
"sansy! I'm creating a kingdom of monsters that will last till eternity. You should be happy for the role you play in it. We all should. A few decades down the line you will be lauded as a hero" The God almost praised.  
"a hero, huh? strange euphemism for 'snitch' dont'cha think?"  
"Aww, don't take it like that, little sansy. People like you, they let down their guard around you, which is why you are perfect for finding any bullies with subversive thoughts. But if it makes you feel better I could appoint you to Royal Spymaster, holds a bit more panache than simple, heh, 'snitch,' no?"  
"no thanks. the less i have to do with your murderous regime the better" sans replied, sounding calm despite the harsh words. He sauntered over to a large stained glass window overlooking the town. Asriel made to follow, unseen by anyone, and gasped slightly as he saw a large procession of monsters on the streets outside. A kind of demonstration with chants and people holding up signs.

'IF IT AINT GOT DUST, EXTINCTION IS A MUST'  
'MONSTERS ARE FROM HEAVEN, HUMANS ARE FROM HELL  
'GOD-KING ASRIEL WILL GUIDE US'  
'GRAY SOULS OR GO HOME'

"Huh, seems you've taken a bit of an 180-turn from our timeline" Chara snorted, but Asriel was too horrified to respond.  
"i'm honestly surprised someone with the power you have couldn't have found a better solution than... this" sans waved a bony hand at the monsters outside "we had peace with the humans before, we could've-"  
"And set us up for another war and another exile? No, sans. Never again" the God of Hyperdeath cut in. He rose from his throne and marched down to stand beside the skeleton, arms folded behind him as he looked out at the progression with pride "Idealism like that is what nearly brought our doom down upon us, and it is what got me and Chara killed. I was a fool, blinded by silly notions of mercy and benevolence. I should have seen Chara's plan for the merit it held, I should have helped them destroy those pitiful gnats"  
"idealism was what brought frisk to bring you back" sans pointed out.  
"And look what that got her" The God laughed "She thought she could wrap everyone around her finger, what, with her childish smile and faux-merciful demeanor, but I saw through it. She thought she could replace me, take my parents away, my kingdom. Keep me as nothing more than a pet, a trophy. Bet she regrets her decision now" the God said, cupping a paw to his chest and bringing out a red, human soul that seemed to struggle in his grasp.  
"she's not the only one" sans said under his breath.

It took an effort of will on Asriel's part not to launch himself at this twisted version of himself and strangle him for even daring suggestion Frisk held anything less than the best of intentions. The sense of loss and waste he felt was overbearing. Using Frisk's soul for such an atrocity, all because he had misinterpreted her.

"But, back to business" The God huffed "Anything to report, my little spy on the wall?"  
sans sighed, looking down at the floor in shame "i heard... catty and bratty talking about some kind of ladies club they were making, where members would spread rumors and gossip about you, of the more crass kind. it's not much but it's what i've got"

The God of Hyperdeath ran a paw under his muzzle, humming in thought "You're right, little sansy, that isn't' much at all"  
"so you'll let them go? It's just a few ladies talking and smelling their own farts"  
"Urahaha, you should know by now, sansy, I have zero tolerance for bullies. In MY new kingdom, nothing less than complete faith will do. I'll have a few guards round them up. Think I'll handle the interrogation myself. They'll learn we won't tolerate bullies... right before I kill them" The God smiled evilly.  
"... you never really grew up, did you?"  
"Hmm?"  
"nothing" sans shrugged before turning to leave. He stopped just before the door "this means you'll leave papy alone, right?" he asked.  
"I would've hoped you'd start doing your duty out of pride of what we've accomplished" the God grinned back.  
"cut the crap, you damn well know I only do this because you hold a chaos saber to my brother's neck, nothing more"  
"And don't you forget it" the God sat back on his throne "Bring me something next week, or you might find that the quality of the local spaghetti rises. Oh, and tell Undyne to come in on your way out, would you?"  
"tch..." sans hissed before heading out, haunted by an echoing "Urahaha" from the God of Hyperdeath behind him.

Asriel felt an almost crushing weight on his chest. Somewhere, in a not too distance place, this could have been his fate. An immortal, all-powerful dictator that seemingly held nothing sacred. But what irked him the most was the strange sense of pride he felt as well. He knew all of this was wrong, but seeing that it was possible for him to create something this grand was invigorating.

"It's... all a bit much, isn't it" he heard Chara muse beside him "I mean, I know I wanted you to kill a few humans, but that was just so we could free monsterkind, but this... this is genocide made into an industry. I can' believe someone like you could ever do something like this"  
"I have a lot of sins on my back, Chara" Asriel sighed, looking down at the floor "Sometimes I wonder if it would have been easier just... embracing them, take it as what I am. Maybe I would have been happier, maybe it would have let to his. I've spent most of my life trying to make up for my mistakes, but maybe if I had just gone with it... I don't know"

The large set of double doors opened again, this time revealing Undyne, clad in her armor and holding her helmet under her arm. Un'lLike sans before her she looked worried, almost fearful in the presence of the Absolute God of Hyperdeath, something Asriel had never seen her express before.

"My lord" she simply greeted in a tone far calmer and professional than her usual, boisterous one "Pardon the intrusion but sans said I could come in"  
"Correct, I asked him to tell you"  
"But how did you even know I was here? I hadn't knocked or anything"  
"I heard you a few miles away. Those clanking boots of yours are unmistakeable" the God waved off.

It felt weird seeing the so usual Captain of Guard so... cowed. Undyne was brave, loud, brash even, but here she looked like a fish out of water, almost cowering the shadow of the God of Hyperdeath.  
"Anyway, let's not waste any time. How goes the harvesting efforts?" he inquired.  
"Well... forgive me, my lord, but we have only been able to gather 50 human souls this week. I deeply apologize. I- I promise, we will do better next time" she fired off.  
"Hmm, well, it had to happen sooner or later. There aren't that many humans left after all. Bring what souls you have to the castle. Meager as they are, I'm still going to dine on what few scraps you can bring me"  
"A-as you wish, my lord"  
"Good golly, don't be so uptight, dear Undyne, we are friends are we not? Urahaha!" The God grinned.  
"Of course, my lord"  
"Hmm, ah, lest I forget, have you had any luck putting down this little insurrection I keep hearing about? The more guards we send away dealing with them the less we have for hunting down the remaining humans, after all"

Undyne threw her head down, no doubt in worry "It... has been slow going my lord. Levi and his wife, Cleo have more support to their cause than we anticipated. It might take... years, I'm afraid, to flush them all out"  
The God sighed, dragging a paw across his face "Still, even after all this time, some people still can't see how good they have it. Do this Levi and Cleo really believe they can stand up to me?"  
"Well, there has been news they're sheltering humans and human sympathizers. A lot of monsters support the idea and cooperation and co-living with them. They've also been remarkably cunning and resourceful in combat against the Royal Guard, I must admit"  
"And they really believe an infamous criminal can make that happen? Bah, it's a sad state of affairs when monsters would rather seek out a gang boss for guidance rather than their true king and god. Heads will have to roll, Undyne"  
"I understand, my lord. We'll redouble our efforts, and-"  
"No, don't bother. I'll handle this... or rather, I'll let 'them' handle this" The God said with a smile that looked almost serene.  
Undyne, on the other hand, finally seemed a bit more herself. She took a step forward, face full of outrage.

"My lo- Asriel, I must protest, you know what happens whenever you let them handle situations like this! The damage they do, all the innocents who get in the way! If you use that... that..." The captain suddenly went wide-eyed, grabbing at her throat and gasping. She fell to her knees as her soul quietly exited her chest. Upon the throne the God of Hyperdeath had a finger pointed at her, looking most displeased. The room darkened and Asriel suddenly felt a deep chill descend.

"I advise you to chose your next words... with exceptional care, Captain. Remember who you are speaking to and remember who you are speaking about"  
He rose from the throne, sauntered down the captain and kneeled down, coming face to face with her. "Otherwise, I'd have to teach you and the Royal Scientist, just to be safe, of course, a lesson that only my enemies usually get to know"  
He grabbed the captain by her head, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. Tears were running down her face and her soul seemed to be quivering in terror.  
"And that lesson is...  
 **That Not Even Death Can Save You From Me"**

As if to prove his point, The God opened his paw towards the Captain's soul. Small, wispy trails began flowing from it into his paw. As Asriel noticed Undyne began gasping more painfully, her skin wrinkling and even her hair slowly turning gray and old, he realized the God was draining the very life out of her soul. He jumped at the God of Hyperdeath but passed clean through, remembering Chara's words on how they were only partially inside the timeline.

"So, do we have an understanding, Undyne? Don't you ever dare utter, don't you ever dare whisper, don't you ever dare even THINK anything ill towards 'Them', for I WILL know, and you will have an eternity to regret it"  
Undyne nodded feverishly, sending a few globules of tears and snot flying.  
"Most excellent" The God said, removing his palm from the soul. Undyne fell to the floor heaving and gasping, but at least her features returned to normal, with her hair returning to its normal red and her skin looking younger.

"Now get out of here. Return to your mutts and bring me some more human souls. I'm getting so tired of all you faithless cowards" the God spat, returning to his throne. Undyne eagerly left, practically crawling on all four in her haste.  
Never in all his life had Asriel ever seen someone intimidate Undyne like that, but truth be told, he himself felt very skittish around the God of Hyperdeath, and he wasn't practically even there.  
"I can't believe that's me..." he whispered out loud.  
"Honestly, me neither" Chara concurred "Like, I'd expect a human god to be like this, maybe, but a monster one, even you..." They shook their head "But I still wonder what all of this has to do me with me being here. I can still sense it, there's another Chara around, but-"

As if having heard Chara's postulation, the God of Hyperdeath suddenly knelled in front of his throne and spoke with a tone that was far, far calmer and gentler than the intimidating one he had before "Hey there. Are you alright? You can come out now, there aren't any more visitors today, nothing to be afraid of"  
Asriel and Chara both shared a quizzical look. Their unspoken question was quickly answered as out of the shadow behind the throne a small figure appeared. The size of a child and wearing a long, bright-green robe with a hood that covered their head.

The God of Hyperdeath spread his arms wide, smiling brightly "Haha, there you are! Come on, where's my hug?" He cooed. The robed figure increased it's pace, shambling like a drunk towards him "Ahhh...sriii...ellll" came a deep, throaty moan from it, that still somehow managed to sound childlike.  
And, as the two timeline-travelers realized, sounded like Chara.

Their suspicion was confirmed as the God and the robed child embraced. The God of Hyperdeath held them tightly in his arms, gently swinging around while nuzzling its shoulder. As he did the hood fell off, revealing a sight that made it run cold down Asriel's back.  
It was Chara alright, pale as a corpse, eyes milky and dead and face covered in maggot-eaten wounds.

"It's... a Zombie Chara" his own version of the abomination said with an odd note of fascination.

"I'm so happy to see you" the God of Hyperdeath said "There are so many doubters around me, so many bullies, so many that can't see the great work we're doing here. But you, you will never abandon me and I will never abandon you, right?"  
"Allll...waaaayyss" the zombie Chara moaned.

"This is horrible" Asriel gasped "It's like he- I exhumed your corpse and reanimated you or something"  
"I know. It's almost kinda cute, though" Chara replied.  
Asriel's head snapped to his sibling with evident outrage "Cute!? Chara, this is... defilement of everything about you! You don't deserve anything like this! At least you should be able to rest in peace, not be turned into this... abomination!"  
"At least I get to be with you, right?" Chara coldly replied "And that's all I ever wanted. Whether I got a pulse or not hardly matters"  
"Chara..."

The God of Hyperdeath softly broke from the embrace, placing his forehead to Zombie!Chara's.  
"I need your help again, Chara. There are some bullies that want to see everything we've worked for torn away, and you're the only one I can trust to handle it" he cooed while reaching into his robes at his neck, fishing out the Heart Locket. Asriel gasped slightly as the sight, surprised that even this version of himself would carry his beloved memento around.  
"Levi the Leviathan, his wife Cleo and their daughter, Valerie, just to be safe. Wouldn't want an idol or martyr for the rest of the bullies to gather around. They all need to die, Chara"  
"Aaaannyyy... thiiiing... foooorrr...youuu" zombie Chara groaned.  
"And anything for you as well, Chara. Here, have some of my power" he placed his Heart Locket unto zombie Chara's. Slowly, they both began to shine and a crimson glow enveloped zombie Chara. They stood more straight-backed, their eyes shone like blood rubies and a wicked Real Knife manifested in their hands.  
"Once you get back we can sit and watch a few movies. I hear Mettaton recently made one about when we sacked the human capital. I haven't seen it but I hear it's a real gusher" The God of Hyperdeath said.  
Zombie Chara's answer was a nod of the head before they suddenly darted like a bullet into the air, all their prior zombie-like sluggishness gone. They darted from pillar to pillar, practically flying, before disappearing out an open window with the God of Hyperdeath looking on with pride  
"Come back soon, Chara. Nothing will keep us separated for long" he said under his breath, before quietly turning on his heel and marched towards a door nearly hidden in the shadow of his throne.

Asriel followed in an almost shell-shocked state. Of all the timelines Chara had shown him this was the one that both intrigued and disgusted him the most. He had long accepted that soul or no, he was capable of great evil, but this was a step beyond anything he could ever imagine. Even worse was the repercussions it had on everyone else around him.

His dad had always said that he, Chara, and Frisk were the future of monsters and humans. Never before had that accolade meant so much to him, and never before had the responsibility of his actions and royalty been so vividly shown to him.  
The God of Hyperdeath entered through the door, and following with, both Asriel and Chara were stunned for a moment at the sudden change of atmosphere. Where they had just found themselves in a tense, dangerous and imperial throne room, now they found themselves in a lush, vibrant garden open to the sky.

Rows of Voldons, carefully tended clusters of Dremurrdendrons, even a rare Soulclaw stood in all its glory. There was only one person they knew who could behind this garden of life.

"Howdy, dad! Busy as always I see" The God of Hyperdeath greeted in a much less imposing voice than before.  
A horned head replete with golden mane peeked from behind a greenhouse. Asgore. He smiled brightly at the voice, but Asriel couldn't help but notice how it faltered ever so slightly when he laid eyes on the God of Hyperdeath.  
"H-howdy, my son. Just a moment, I'll be right there" he said before ducking back behind the greenhouse, followed by a clatter of watering cans and pots.  
The God of Hyperdeath almost looked serene of the floral environment. He stood with his paws behind his back, casually sauntering down the small earthen street, sometimes stopping and crouching down to smell one of the carefully tended to flowers.  
"Doesn't exactly look like someone who's in the middle of happily driving a whole race to extinction, does it?" Chara posed.  
"You read my mind" Asriel glanced over at where this timeline's version of his dad had been "I wonder what They think of all this..."  
"What, mom and dad? Eh, I think they'll be proud of how far you've moved up in the world. Not a lot of parents can boast of having a god as a son. Heh, guess that would make the godparents or something"  
"Chara..."  
"Alright, alright, just kidding" The First Child waved off before chuckling an empty laugh "Truth be told, I'm curious as well."

"There we go!" The voice of Asgore suddenly declared, before he practically jumped from where he had been working "Sorry about that but once you start pruning a Bladder-Bloom you really don't want to stop until you're completely done. Golly, your mother could tell you all about that one incident" the fatherly monster went to greet while removing a pair of gloves from his paws. It sounded like something he would say alright, but Asriel couldn't help but notice how it also almost sounded... placating, defusing.

"I thought I smelled something awful from the garden a few weeks ago. I guess even the King of Flowers makes mistakes at times" The God of Hyperdeath greeted back. Asgore snorted at the remark "I haven't been king of anything for a while" he waved off.  
The God of Hyperdeath nodded towards a wall to the side covered vines with purple flowers blooming from them. Even at a distance, Asriel could tell they weren't doing so well.  
"Speaking of mistakes looks like your Randoons aren't doing so great either. Lost your magic touch?" Asriel felt his choler rise at how it almost sounded like he was taunting his dad.

Asgore looked over and sighed at the sight "Ah, those. An embarrassing mistake on my part. They need a lot of sunlight to bloom but the sun never really reaches so far this time of year. All I can do now is making their passing as gentle as possible. Removing and placing them somewhere else at this point would kill them" he said with undisguised shame.

"The Sun doesn't reach that far? That can be changed" The God of Hyperdeath flatly stated.  
"What do you mean?"  
In response, The God of Hyperdeath suddenly reached a paw to the sky and clenched. He both looked and sounded slightly strained as he moved his paw as if he was pulling an invisible rope. Asriel cocked his head to the side in confusion... right until he noticed how the shadows on the ground were shortening and changing. The gasp he heard from Chara implying they had made the same observation and conclusion.  
"Is he... moving the Sun!?" The First Child said, exasperated "But that's... that's..."  
"Impossible" Asriel finished "I've never heard of anything or anyone being powerful enough to something anywhere near this" he put his paw over his eyes to shield them as he looked up. It was hard to see but he could just barely notice the incandescent core move ever so slightly in the sky.  
The revelation was breathtaking. If the magical exertion to move a star was only a slight strain on the God of Hyperdeath what was his limit, then? Did he even have one?

"Asriel, what are you doing?" Asgore gasped in slight horror, finally realizing as well what was going on "Stop this! It's not worth it, you don't know what you're doing!"  
"And there" The God finished, lowering his paw "Problem solved"  
True enough, the once sun-deprived Randoons were now richly bated in the light from the recently moved celestial body.  
"You... you moved the Sun... just for that?" Asgore practically wheezed in disbelief.  
"I solved the problem"  
"You also shortened the day by about 6 hours and who knows what else!" The former king reprimanded in a voice Asriel was thankful for he had only witnessed rarely. He knew it was tough to really tick off his dad, disappoint him or get under his skin so once you finally did you knew you'd stepped in it.

He walked up and grabbed the God of Hyperdeath by the side of his shoulders, fixing him with a scolding glare.  
"You can't abuse your powers like this, Asriel, It's bad enough the things you're doing as king of our people, but do you ever just stop and consider the consequences of your actions?"  
The God of Hyperdeath merely shrugged "I'm above the consequences at this point, but I can always move it back if you want me to"  
"Asriel, anyone with powers as great as yours must be tempered by an equally great sense of responsibility. If you're reckless you could end up-"  
"There's nothing in this world that I break that I can't put together stronger than before" The God snorted back derisively "But we're still family, dad. There isn't much I wouldn't do for you and mom. You both need to stop worrying so much"  
"I fear the issue is that you worry **too little** " Asgore sighed and stepped away "But we worry, your mother and I, not just at what is happening to our people, but also what this 'Godhood' is doing to you, my son"

The God of Hyperdeath raised an amused eyebrow, silently urging his dad to go on, who only did so after a moment of hesitation and with a quiet voice "We've- your mother and I, that is, we've had trouble sleeping lately, more so than useful. There's been a lot of screaming coming from the floors below us at night. It's... horrible"  
The God of Hyperdeath actually looked somewhat sheepish for a moment, before settling back to the regal, unflinching demeanor "Ah, yes, I've recently expanded the, ah, interrogation chambers. I wasn't aware they were so close to your sanctuary, though. I'll have them moved as soon as possible" He said a little faster than usual.

But Asgore was not amused. Instead, he looked the exact image of 'I'm not angry, just disappointed'  
"Interrogation chambers" he mused with a huff "I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch to call them torture chambers, would it?"  
"In some cases, maybe"  
Asgore threw his arms up in exasperation, rounding on himself as if he was trying to showcase the God of Hyperdeath's callousness to an unseen audience "Really, Asriel? Torture? When, in all the time you grew up happy and content in the Underground did it enter your mind that torture was alright? It goes against everything your mother and I have ever taught you!"

Despite it not being directed at him, Asriel felt an urge to fall to his knees and apologize. It was painful to see his dad in such distress while knowing a version of him was the cause of it and not being able to do anything about it.  
But the God of Hyperdeath was not so easily defeated "All I know is that applying a bit of forceful pressure can work wonders"  
"Asriel, you can't-"  
"I get it, dad, you and mom always talk about patience, kindness, and hope. All noble qualities, I'm sure" he repeated Asgore's gesture from before, walking up to his dad, taking him by the side of his shoulders and meeting his gaze "But in the end, all they amount to is a happy feeling in your stomach. Patience doesn't get things done, you don't defeat your enemies with kindness and being hopeful might as well be synonymous with being willfully ignorant of danger. All that matters is being strong enough to impose your will and the world and powerful enough to be above the consequences. Just look at the future I have made for our people, dad! How can it not excuse ay method I have used?"  
Asgore looked equal parts shocked and equal parts a broken monster. He gasped and sighed a few times, as if trying to summon up something to say, but instead another voice suddenly entered the sanctuary.

Toriel, wearing her usual dress, albeit, with the purple a few nuances darker, Asriel spotted. She entered through a door to the side, paws clasped in front of her.

"What you have made, my child, is a dominion built on death, fear, and oppression" she said in an unnervingly cold voice. The God of Hyperdeath almost seemed to deflate at her entry, his shoulders sagging while he rolled his eyes "Howdy, mom" he said dryly.  
"As pleased as I am to see you, Asriel, I am equally as displeased hearing you say these things. And don't you roll your eyes at me"  
"It's the same old spiel as always, mom. How many times do we have to have this talk?"  
"As many times as it takes for you to understand what you're doing" she retorted, undeterred "Just because you can't see the damage you're causing doesn't mean it is not real"  
"I know what I'm doing" he snorted dismissively.  
"You may be all-powerful, my child, but you are not all-knowing" She walked up to him, looking him over with saddened eyes, sighing "For the life of me, I do not understand how you could ever conceive all you've done. You are a monster, Asriel, a being of Love, Hope and Kindness. Can't you see all this death and pain you're causing is destroying you as much as it is destroying the world? What happened to my little angel? My little crybaby?"  
"He died" The God of Hyperdeath replied. Asriel was almost floored by the cold bluntness of it.  
"He died a long time ago. You should know, you saw it after all"  
"Oh, Asriel, my child..." Toriel sighed, almost a sob "Is that what drives you to all of this? Fear that it might happen again and being unable to stop it? Asriel, I understand your distress, but you can't let fear drive you to do all this. It's leading you down a path of folly and you won't like where it leads"

Asgore stepped in beside Toriel, no doubt emboldened by his former wife's words "Your mother is right, Asriel. Maybe your past, this godhood and your fears have taken a toll on you. Maybe you need... a break?" He offered sheepishly.  
The God of Hyperdeath blinked owlishly "A... break?"  
"Y-yes, not indefinitely, of course, but..." The old king reached for Toriel's paw and took it into his own. She didn't resist, only returning a brief look of longing between the 2 boss monsters.  
"Your mother and I still remember a thing or two about rulership. We could help calm things down. Tide people over until you return. Give you some time to rest and gather your thoughts"  
"You are still our son" Toriel softly added "And we love you. No matter what happens"

The God of Hyperdeath looked aside, eyebrows twitching and lips curling as if deep in thought.  
Asriel briefly recalled the time he had held the human souls within him, and how it had dramatically increased not only his magical and physical prowess but also his mental one, being able to think faster, plan better and calculate more accurately than even the most advanced of Alphys' magitek computers. Considering how many souls this God of Hypderdeath had consumed he imagined he was envisioning, dissecting and analyzing possibly thousands of potential outcomes of his parent's offer in seconds.

After a few moments, the God of Hyperdeath nodded slowly "A break... would be nice" he conceded, adding a hopeful smile to Toriel and Asgore.  
"So, you agree? We promise you it will only be temporary. You can always return whenever you feel ready" Asgore offered.  
He nodded again facing the old king "Quite. But before I do that there's one thing I need to be sure of"  
"W-what's that?"  
"There's one lesson you taught me that has stuck with me all this time. As rulers, we have to put the need of the people before our own, even if it pains us. We need to have the strength to make tough decisions" without warning a Chaos Saber suddenly materialized in the God of Hyperdeath's paw, infinitely more powerful than the one he had wielded all those years ago in the Underground, Asriel realized, the blade of the saber being so sharp he felt a stinging pain in his eyes just looking at it.

"I'll hand over my crown and throne on one condition; that you have the strength to make such decisions" The God f Hyperdeath coolly continued as if not noticing the frightened expressions of his parents from his blade's sudden appearance.  
"That you can prove yourself worthy. That you can prove, in your own words, have the strength to make tough decisions, even if it hurts you. You think I'm leading our people down a dark path? Then there's only one way for you to change that" he casually tossed the Chaos Saber at his parents.  
Asgore instinctively moved in front of Toriel, clumsily catching it in his large paws, his face one big question mark.

"Kill me" he non-chalantly offered "Cut me down. Then my throne and the kingdom is yours. I won't resist"  
Asgore's eyes darted back and forth between his son and the blade, mouth slowly curling into outrage. He dropped that Chaos Saber to the ground.  
"Never" he snarled "Losing you once was already more than I could bear and I will not lose you again, least of all by my own paw. You're my son, Asriel. I'd rather tear out my own heart than lay a claw on you"  
The God of Hyperdeath nodded in contentment as if he had been expecting the answer. He walked up to Asgore, who maintained a look of hurt pride and slight outrage, quickly changing into surprise as the God pulled him into a hug.  
"I knew you wouldn't" he said "I knew you wouldn't, because, in the end, you're a better monster than me. You're patient, kind, benevolent and forgiving" The God slightly craned his head, placing his forehead to his dad's "But it's these same qualities that make you unfit to rule. A king must be unafraid, ruthless, unforgiving and always able and willing to do everything in their power to do what must be done"  
"But you go too far, Asriel" Asgore whispered, practically a sob at this point.  
"Better than not going far enough" The God snorted, giving one last squeeze before breaking from the hug, turning on his heel and marching towards the door.

"Monsterkind is mine, for all eternity if need be. I love you, mom and dad. One day you'll come around to my way of thinking" he ended with finality, closing the door followed by a 'whomp' sound, indicating the door was magically locked.

Asriel felt as empty as he imagined this timeline's version of his parents were, standing there, almost looking shell-shocked. He reached a paw out to his dad, knowing he couldn't see, feel nor sense him but he still had to try.  
"Oh, Gorey" Toriel sighed "How did it come to this? How did my little angel turn into this... this God of Death?"  
Asgore turned to face her with slumped shoulders, looking about as broken as her "We can't blame ourselves, Tori. We... we did what we could" he said, but it was all too easy to tell he didn't believe his own words.  
"But who else can I blame? I am his mother, it was my responsibility to ensure he grew up happy. Instead, he's ruled by fear and... and madness"  
"A lot of things happened, Tori. None of which we could have foreseen"  
"I suppose this is just comeuppance" Toriel continued, her face hung low, speaking as if she wasn't even listening "Trapped in a gilded cage, safe and comfortable while the world dies around us at the paws of one we should have cared for more"  
"Tori, please, just-"  
"I know, Gorey, I know" she cut in "I know what you mean to say, but there is no one else to lay the blame upon" she turned, slowly trodding towards the door she had entered from

"I failed to save his life once. Now I have failed to save his soul"

Her walk became slower and slower until she suddenly stood completely still, one foot in front of her. It took Asriel a moment to realize time had stopped and another moment to realize he had been holding his breath for stars knew how long, cold sweat running down his back and joints hurting as if he had been tensed-up and clenching all this time.

"Ooff" Chara huffed beside him "And it all started out so good. The Zombie!Chara thing was amazing, but this? Just... ooff"  
"... This almost happened, Chara" Asriel said, more coolly than he felt.  
"Hm?"  
"If Frisk hadn't been able to stop me, if I hadn't stopped our plan, or if I had been too bone-headed to realize what Frisk was trying to do when she fought me, this could have happened. That's what scares me the most. Even if I had a soul I'm more than capable of committing much worse atrocities than Flowey"  
"All it takes is one bad day" Chara retorted, looking away for a moment "But the important part is that you are disgusted by this, right? You wouldn't do something like this if you had the power to do so, would ya?"  
"People change" Asriel shrugged "I used to hate Garden Snails when I was younger but now I think they're delish"  
"... Did you just compare snail cuisine with Death Gods and genocide on a planetary scale?"  
"The difference is smaller than you might think. What is disgusting today might be totally acceptable the next. All it takes is one bad day" Asriel said, repeating Chara's prior words, who shrugged it off.

"Anyway, it's about time you and Frisky-Bits get on your last Timeline adventure" The First Child said after a few moments, preparing to open another rift.  
"It can't be any worse than this" Asriel almost pleaded.  
"Oh, don't worry, it'll only get better from here. Much, much better. In fact, it might be so good you never want to leave again"

Asriel felt the presence of void spirits behind him about to push him into the rift but went ahead before they could get to him. A comforting waft of summer breeze flew from the rift, the first whiff of an actually comfortable atmosphere since coming Underground and a far cry from the other timelines.

And after all he had seen, it wouldn't take much to convince him to stay in a better world, even if it wasn't his own.

* * *

 **So, I can almost guarantee you won't have to wait 3 months for the next chapter. Delays or not, I WILL finish this, have no doubt!**

 **Untill next time.**


	22. The Perfect Timeline

**Jean-Luc Picard once said "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life". And yet I'd guess most people would fare a lot better were their past mistakes erased. I know I would.**  
 **Just imagine a world where you did nothing but the correct choices, seised and capitalized fully on every opportunity presented to you and you always were at the right place at the right time.**

 **Wouldn't that be great?**  
 **Would it be worth leaving your past life behind?**

* * *

Almost a full day had passed since the Void Spirits had started their attack and time was quickly running out for Ebott.

The line of Royal Guard had been severely thinned in some places, enough that a handful of the ghosts had managed to slip through and into the city proper, a fact that weighed heavily on Undyne. Any monster with a least some kind of combative magic would be able to hold off a Void Spirit or two if they saw it coming, but it should never have to come to that. The Royal Guard's foremost duty was to ensure the safety of the civilians and every spirit that got through was another black spot on her record.

She witnessed, point in case, how a group of spirits managed to bore a Knight-Knight to the ground, messily devouring its soul and allowing a few other to slip through into the city before some nearby guards managed to plug the gap.

No matter what happened today, this was a fight that would forever change her, Undyne surmised. Too many brave guardmonsters had already given their lives, only to be rewarded with a fate worse than death in The Void.

She gazed towards a large silo on the horizon, reaching into a small pocket compartment in her armor and feeling her fingers clutch around the small remote Asriel had given before heading Underground. All it would take was one push of a button and the silo would lower, revealing the Amalgam Alpha for all of monsterkind and, more importantly, the Void Spirits to see. They would be lured in from all over the world, enticed to consume the Amalgam's soul but too weak to do so. Still, they would try and they would come in numbers so vast they would drag all of Ebott and monsterkind down with them, Alphys had told her.

In hindsight, maybe it hadn't been the smartest decision placing what surmounted to a living, soul-powered weapon of mass destruction so close to the city but it was too late now. One push and monsterkind would be sacrificed so humanity and the rest of the world would be spared, though, truth be told, Undyne was getting mighty tired that so many sacrifices had to be made in the first place. Even more so was her growing anger at the burden placed on her. She hadn't realized back then but when Asriel had handed her the remote to the Amalgam's Alpha's containment building he had also placed the fate of their entire race on her shoulders. The remote was practically a kill-switch and she couldn't help but feel her dust boil at the unfairness of placing such a decision on her and not the king and queen. She silently swore that if she made it through this, that damnable, wretched Prophet who made the hellish thing in the first place would be getting a piece of her mind, and more than likely a piece of her spear as well.

She took a few deep breaths, letting a few rational thoughts calm her mind. Of course the burden had been placed on her; she was the highest authority figure left in Ebott, and the one best suited to ascertain when the damnable choice needed to be made. And after all, Frisk and Asriel were, hopefully, doing something to end the madness. Preferably before circumstances forced her into being the exterminator of her entire race.

Probably not what Asgore had wanted of her. Just the thought of how ashamed he would be was enough to make her grit her teeth.

With a huff, she placed the remote back in her pocket. She still had a good amount of guards left but with every passing hour, she lost a few more. She leaped into the fray, hoping that keeping busy with battle would take her mind off the horrible choice she prayed she wouldn't have to make.

* * *

In another world, far from the void-torn one Undyne found herself in, in another Ebott that had never witnessed war, persecution or tragedy, Frisk and Asriel slowly felt their consciousness return. They grabbed at the ground, finding healthy green grass between their fingers. The air was warm and comfortable, hitting a perfect sweet spot between being pleasant for furred monsters and non-furred humans both, delivered to them by a fresh breeze that could almost go for a loving caress on the skin or an affectionate petting on fur.

"I don't think I've ever felt more comfortable being face down in the dirt" Frisk surmised.

"Almost better than my bed" Asriel agreed, enjoying the simple sensation of straws of grass running between his fingers and toes. Fingers and toes that felt remarkably close and small, he realized, and as he lifted his head to see himself wearing his old striped sweater, he realized with a startled bleat why.

"Oh wow, I was wondering why our voices sounded so different. We're small again" Frisk surmised. And indeed they were. They both sprang to their feet, looking themselves over. By and large, they looked roughly 10 maybe even 15 years younger.

About the age Chara had last seen them alive, Asriel realized.

"Man, as if I didn't have enough trouble being taken seriously as ambassador" Frisk grunted, also wearing the striped clothes she had during her adventured in the Underground "At least you get to look cuter"

"And as if I didn't have enough trouble being mistaken for a plushie" Asriel pouted back.

"Aww, c'mon, you're adorable!"

"Frisk, maybe we should find out what's going on"

"Not gonna look as sexy going shirtless, though. Shame, I quite enjoyed watching you do your morning workout. Abs or no, I bet your belly is still super fluffy and rub-able!"

"Fr-Frisk! Please" He whined, ears reddening.

"But hey, at least we can TV all day now without feeling bad"

"Frisk, stop embarrassing your brother like that, you know the conniptions it gives him" A light voice tittered at them.

Both of them turned to the all too familiar voice, finding none other than Toriel standing in a door opening leading into a house quite a bit larger than the one she inhabited in their own timeline. The woman herself didn't wear her usual robes, instead opting for a home-sewn shirt and long skirt that gave her a youthful look. "Now come inside, if you would. Your father and I have something to show you" she eagerly said before vanishing inside.

The two adolescents shared a hopeful look, not only at the promising surprise waiting inside but also at the demeanor of this Toriel as well. Chances were that due to them being small again this timeline was probably a few years behind their own, but still, this Toriel seemed more vigorous, happier and untroubled than either of them ever remembered her being

"I don't know about which timelines Chara showed you, but this already sounds miles better than what they showed me" Frisk quipped.

"Oh absolutely" the now small goat agreed, placing a paw on Frisk's shoulder as she moved to enter the house "And hey, speaking of timelines" he began "Are you alright? Because I won't lie to you, some of what they showed me were... painful to watch"

"Heh, ever the gentlegoat" she replied, patting his paw "But yeah, I'm alright. Honestly, I think I learned a thing or two about myself"

"Same, though, I learned some things I think I'd rather have done without" Asriel sighed "But nevermind that, we still need to get to Chara to stop the spirits before they overrun Ebott completely"

"If we can find them" Frisk concurred.

* * *

For all the promise this new timeline held the inside of the Dreemurr Residence was surprisingly dim and subdued compared to the bright outside and the even brighter Toriel that had been there a minute ago.

Still, the two small Dreemurrs entered in, wary that the facade would soon come apart, that they would soon find out that this was just another bad end. All sorts of scenarios and possibilities raced in their minds; ranging from coming in to find their mother having married Parides, to to the notion that the seemingly blissful atmosphere outside was only made possible through the ritual sacrifice of the souls of young children.

It didn't put their minds at ease as they entered into the living room, finding Toriel and, to their delight, Asgore sitting at a round table, faces cast down in silence.

"M-mom? Dad? W-what's going on?" Asriel stammered.

The two monster monarchs shared a brief look before a sigh escaped from Toriel "I just don't understand you two, my own children..." she said quietly and coldly.

"Mom?" Frisk practically whimpered.

"How can you stand there and act so innocent, unknowing and carefree..." she rose from her chairiel and rounded the table towards them.

Asriel felt his knees turn to jelly. If this was some kind of evil version of his mother he would have to defend Frisk, but a few mere dire words from Toriel was enough to make him tremble.

She suddenly swopped low and dived at them. Both the young Dreemurrs flinched back as they were enveloped by her arms and lifted up, half-expecting to have the life crushed out of them or to be burnt by her flames

Instead they felt mild surprise as they sensed the maternal monster nuzzling their shoulders in turn. "When there is so much to be happy for?" she finished.

"Forgive me, I just cannot help myself you're so adorable" she giggled.

Frisk and Asriel shared a quizzical look before another set of large, strong arms enveloped them "We're so proud of you, more than we can ever express" Asgore joined in, squeezing them to the point where it was still comfortable without being suffocating.

Frisk leaned into it all with a content hum. For Asriel, it was a sensation wholesome enough to almost bring him to tears. How long had it been since he had seen either of his parents so happy, or even just together? Never before had the life-affirming effect a good hug had on one been so soundly proven to him and with a happy, blissful sniffle he returned it all as best he could.

It all lasted for well over a minute. A blissful minute where there was no war, neither with the Void or with mankind, no father cursed by Void Magic, no parents who had broken up and no reason to ever dread the past or worry about the future. It was too good to be true both of the young Dreemurrs realized at roughly the same time, remembering Chara's description of the so-called "Perfect Timeline"

They had to find a way out of it... but under the given circumstances both of them found it hard to really want to. It had been so long since life had been calm, happy and comfortable for them, their friends and their family.

"So, what're we celebrating?" Frisk mused as they felt the group hug slowly finishing up.

Both of the monster monarchs giggled so heartfelt it almost sent Asriel straight back to his happy memories "Oh Frisk, I do now know whether you are just acting silly or if you really are innocent of knowing" Toriel said and spread her arms wide "What is there not to celebrate? The Kingdom is doing well, the weather is paradisaical, I have my lovely children with me, to say nothing of what you two nincompoops have been up to" she reached down to tenderly pinch Frisk's cheek "I saw your report card. Straight As. It makes me so happy to see the effort you are putting into your education, my child"

"We've also just added Asriel's newest Fireball Trophy to the collection" Asgore joined in, picking the little goat monster up on his shoulder and turning to a cabinet filled with trophies and medal cases, most of them gold "Haha, you keep this up maybe you'll grow up to be as big and strong as your dad one day!" Asgore whopped.

"But preferably not as boisterous or awful at naming as him" Toriel added in with a snicker.

"Ach, you wound me my dearest!" The Great King melodramatically put the back of his paw to his forehead and staggered about as if hurt. Asriel was thrown around on his broad shoulders, laughing all the while as he tried to hold on.

"Now, now, enough fooling around you two. Save some energy for later, I am sure you will need it" Toriel cut in.

"What's happening later?" Frisk inquired.

"Oh? Truly, you do not remember? We have invited all your friends for a celebration! Occasions like these deserve to be memorialized with friends and family alike, do you not agree?"

"We're having a party? Wow, that's great mom!" Frisk eagerly responded, sharing a beaming smile with Asriel.

One that faltered somewhat as they both remembered their purpose here.

"Now on you go. Go to your rooms and get freshened up. They will be here soon" Toriel shooed them.

Asriel hesitated for a moment. A question was on his lips but some part of him told him that to ask it would break the paradisaical moment they found themselves in.

"Hey mom, w-where is Chara?" he managed after a few moments. The way his mom tilted her head with a look of slight confusion told him everything.

"Chara? I do not know, is that one of your friends? Forgive me, I do not think I invited a Chara to come over. If you wish I could try and call them, see if-"

"No no, it's fine, we'll go get ready. Thanks, mom" he rapidly waved off, joining Frisk at the door.

"Uhm, children? Where are you going?" Toriel suddenly asked "To our room" Frisk quickly replied before her voice got stuck in her throat as she realized this wasn't exactly the house she remembered.

Fortunately, Toriel only chuckled light-heartedly in response "Oh dear, this day truly has you on your head, does it not? Your room is up there" she pointed a claw at a staircase, which the Dreemurr children, head low in embarrassment and watched by an Asgore who looked like a confused question mark meekly went to.

* * *

"Hah, we're still sleeping in a bunk bed in his timeline!" Asriel gleefully remarked upon noticing the bed in their room, jumping unto it in 2 big bounds

"Mhm, like our double back home, only less... innocent" Frisk snickered in response, enjoying how the small goat kid suddenly blushed "I... I guess" he choked.

"Our indefinitely postponed love life aside, we need to discuss what to do"

Asriel nodded, letting himself flop over backward on the bed "Chara isn't here" he flatly stated.

"Oh, they are definitely around, they always are. We just need to find a way to, how to put this, lure them out?"

Asriel gave off a quiet whimper and rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Azzy? What's wrong?" Frisk posed, walking closer.

"It all just feels so... rotten" He groaned back.

"What, being tossed around timelines like a ragdoll?"

"That of all people doing it, it's Chara" Asriel almost growled "If this was just some madman or rogue monster doing this to us I would have no problem resisting it all, but..."

"Since it's Chara..."

"Since it's Chara" Asriel nodded in agreement.

"Even after everything you still just want to please them" she said, more a statement than a question.

"More than anything" he gently reached out for Frisk's hands and put them into his paws, grimacing as he noticed a large, jagged scar across her palm. Frisk mirrored the grimace, well-remembering the act of catching her younger self's knife with her hand. A spur of the moment thing, really. She would have to hide it somehow, - if Toriel noticed she would throw a fit.

"Stars... I'm sorry Frisk" Asriel whispered "All of the this, the Void being unleashed, us getting trapped in timelines. It's all my fault"

"Asriel, come on, we've talked about this"

"But who else is there to blame? So much horror and suffering could have been avoided if I had just been a bit more assertive"

"You didn't know"

"But I did. I was just too frightened to disappoint them" he sighed "I'm sick and tired of so many people having to die and suffer because of my mistake, and I'm sick and tired of constantly having to face the consequences, no matter how much I deserve it. It's a nightmare that never ends, Frisk" He whimpered.

Frisk gently hugged him closer, cooing and rubbing the back of his head. She wasn't surprised to feel wetness on her shirt, even though he was quiet.

"Then how about we end it? Once and for all" She said.

"We have to" he silently agreed "Both for my own sake... and theirs. We need to set them free, Frisk. Chara needs to see the light"

* * *

"SANS! ARE YOU SURE EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT OUTSIDE? THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF SCREAMING AND LOUD RUCKUS GOING ON!"

"yeah, they're doing that human festival, halloween. i know how you startle easily so i locked the door'n' barred the windows"

"AH, MY GRATITUDE, SANS. I ALWAYS DID STARTLE EASILY BY COSTUMES"

"don't mention it"

"BUT, SANS, DIDN'T ALPHYS MENTION HALLOWEEN WAS IN AUTUMN? WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER!"

"yeah, but it's leap year"

"AH, MAKES SENSE" the lanky skeleton conceded before peeling off back to the kitchen, summoned by a ringing egg-clock warning him that his newest dish was nearing critical mass.

Sans took the opportunity to lift the black curtain cover he had hanging over the windows, witnessing a frightful scene of the neighbor across the street being besieged by void spirits. He saw one of them break the door down, being pelted by magical projectiles before the others managed to force themselves inside. He could barely see how they fought in the shadows in the window. One monster was huddled in the corner, clutching a pair of smaller figures while a larger one stood in the middle of a room, fiercely fending the spirits of. It defeated a pair of them before a third suddenly rushed for the figures in the corner. The fighting shadow lunged at it, dispelling it with its magic but allowing the other spirits to pounce on it. In a matter of moments, they tore its soul from its body, devouring it messily, the dust glittering enough that sans could see it clearly through the windows.

The last thing he saw was the Void spirits turning their attention to the 3 smaller figures huddled in the corner.

He let go of the curtain, sparring himself from sight and sighed heavily.

"that won't happen to him" he whispered and glanced briefly towards the kitchen.

"HUH? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING, SANS?" came the boisterous reply. He sounded strained, probably trying to cram whatever he was cooking up into the oven or something, sans surmised.

"eh, it's nothing" he called back "though, i've been thinking, it's been a while since we did anything together. how 'bout we, uh, go and get something to eat this evening? remember the old times?"

Stunned silence answered him from the kitchen and he could almost imagine the look of shock on Papyrus's face.

"SANS... MAY-MAYBE MY EARHOLES DECEIVE ME BUT DID YOU JUST OFFER TO TAKE ME OUT?"

He felt his soul drop a bit at how he worded it, but no matter how you looked at it, it was exactly what he was planning to do. "i guess" he shrugged, not really caring that his brother wasn't looking at him "doesn't even have to be grillby or anything, your choice, I just-"

A bone-colored projectile suddenly shot out from the kitchen, faster than even his reflexes could allow him to dodge. It enveloped him in a tight squeeze and lifted him up, swinging him around merrily.

"OF COURSE I'D BE DELIGHTED TO GO OUT WITH YOU, SANS! YOU'RE THE BESTEST BROTHER ANYONE COULD ASK FOR! IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU FINALLY WANTING TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR A BIT"

The smaller skeleton chuckled nervously in answer "heh, yeah, don't mention it... seriously please don't" he quietly added.

The lanky skeleton let go of him mid-swing, sending him flying comfortably right into the couch where he landed with practiced ease.

"RIGHT, I'M GONNA GO GET PREPARED!"

"why the rush? i was thinking we'd... go this evening"

"INDEED? THEN THERE IS NO TIME TO BE LOST! I NEED TO FIT ALL TYPES OF ATTIRE BENEATH MY BATTLE BODY! FORMAL FOR FINE DINING, CASUAL FOR THE MORE REGULAR, BIB FOR SPICY FOODS, YOU KNOW HOW IT MAKES ME DROOL, SANS!"

"you do what you gotta do, i'm in no rush" he said, meaning every word of it.

Papyrus stormed up the stairs with an excited 'nyeh', leaving the living room alone to sans once again.

He hopped down from the couch, into his slippers and sauntered over to another window, one giving a good view of Mt. Ebott.

"hope you two can move mountains" he said out loud, sighing dejectedly to himself.

"'take you out'... guess i'm gonna do just that. god, i hate puns"

* * *

"hey kiddo! nice work on the whole fireball trophy thing, though, i can't help but wonder who's holding the water during the match"

"The water?" Asriel mused to the smaller skeleton.

"would have to be the pitcher, i reckon"

"The pitc- ohh" the goat boy groaned, his silent suffering only made worse by the sound of his mother literally guffawing from another corner in the living room, now filled with the whole crew, and a quite a few people they had never seen before, come to congratulate them.

"H-hey, Frisk. Con-congratulations with all the, uhh, the school stuff" Alphys remarked a bit away, nervously re-balancing her glasses.

"Why, thank you!" Frisk beamed and bowed, feeling a slight tinge of shame taking credit for something a supposedly 'better' version of herself had done... or at least a version that had spent more time doing their homework than on the NSFW part of the Underweb "It honestly came as a surprise, felt like I barely did anything at all"

"Heh, well, your mom always did say you had a good head on your shoulders" the little lizard stammered back, looking aside for a moment as if contemplating something.

"And, uh, speaking of that I was wondering; I'm, ahh, looking for new assistants down at the lab, a-and I think you would fit in perfectly. N-not that you HAVE to-to take it, you know, we could make some cool stuff together, and I-if you want I could write you a recommendation for when you move on! Ahh, not that you HAVE to move on, again, but y'know just in case, I could-"

Before Alphys could finish her speech, rapidly increasing in speed as she went on and became more nervous a blue-skinned figure suddenly landed beside her with a 'FUFUFU', causing a shockwave that knocked the nearby guests on their back but fortunately caused none of their Snail-punch-filled drinks to spill. The figure wrapped an arm around Alphys, squeezing it tight to her side.

"Are you seriously givin' lil' Frisky bits her a job pitch? Now? At a moment like this?"

"I'mpf sworry" The little scientist managed to choke, trapped between Undyne's strong arm and considerable hip.

"Time and place, hon. Ya wouldn't ask a Pyrope out in the city on rainy day, would ya?"

"Nopf!"

"Atta' girl, now outta the way so I can tell Frisky how awesome she is" Undyne declared before rearing back her arm, still holding Alphys, and tossing her unto a couch where she landed supremely comfortably, yet still hard enough that it caused a drink and a bowl of chips to fly up from a nearby table and land perfectly into the little lizards paws.

Before Frisk could cheer at it all she was swept up in an almost crushing bear hug by the warrior fish "Ngaah! Ya might still be a loser, frisky, but you're loser with a lotta heart and a lotta brain" She huffed a laugh as she felt Frisk try and wiggle out of her grip "Though, ya might wanna work on yer brawn as well. Get you as big and cool as you auntie Undyne!"

Frisk would have laughed if she had any air in her lungs. As it was all she managed was a half-choked "Eeeee!"

"My word! Captain Undyne, I would appreciate if you didn't 'celebrate' my daughter to death, especially on a day like this" Toriel appeared at their side"

"Don't worry about it, Tori. Just givin' her some tough lovin'!"

"You are going to give her an obituary if you do not relent"

"Oh fine, never took you for a queen of killjoys, Tori" Undyne huffed, letting go of Frisk, and causing her oxygen-starved body to flop in on itself. Down on the floor, she was vaguely aware of Toriel scolding the hugging-fish, something about 'shaken-baby syndrome' when she felt a smaller set of fuzzy arms drag her away.

"Golly, you're almost as blue and purple as your shirt, Frisk" her rescuer, Asriel, commented.

"I am feeling a little blue, truth be told"

"Let's get somewhere quiet"

With a bit of effort, Asriel managed to drag the purple-headed Frisk over to a more or less secluded corner couch, plumping her down on it before coming back with a glass of squeezed snail juice and one of blueberry punch.

"Well, as horrible as it is to say, considering what we're trying to do, I'm having a blast" he conceded taking a swig of the murky light-brown liquid.

"Ditto, It's been a while sin'ce I've seen people this happy" Frisk replied, her voice still a wheeze. She sat up straight and took a swig as well "Still, gotta keep focused on what matters. I haven't seen Chara anywhere and without them, we've got no chance of getting home"

"Or ending the war" Asriel added with a sigh "But I don't get it. If this is the 'Perfect Timeline' then where are they? Without them it's never gonna be perfect" Asriel said, glancing over at Frisk as he noticed an amused smirk on her "Should I be jealous?" she asked coyly.

"G-golly, no, that's now what I meant!"

"You're so cute when you're flustered, even more so when you're smol as well. Come here, let me nibble on your ear"

"... just don't use your teeth" Asriel relented with a sigh

Frisk's joviality was all present and correct, perhaps more than he hoped for, Asriel thought to himself. Not that he could blame her, all things considered, they could just stay here, as they were. The absurdity that they were trying to find a way to escape this happy, wholesome place in time in favor of one wracked by tragedy, death and war wasn't lost on him. They could be happy here, more than they ever could in their own timeline.

He huffed a bitter laugh at the thought.

No, he would never be happy if he stayed.

Once, he had made a mistake that had lead to his death and his transformation into Flowey. As the weed, he had caused uncounted death and suffering, all for his own amusement. Frisk granting him her soul had restored him to his former self but also cursed him with the conscience to feel remorse, regret and shame of his actions. But he had come to accept that, without a soul, he might as well had been another person entirely. He was not Flowey.

But if he stayed now, he might as well be. His choices as a soulless weed were not his own, the decisions to torture and maim just to see what would happen were Flowey's, not his. His choice now, however, was his own. Staying would mean leaving family and friends to a fate so horrible it would make Flowey's actions seem like a Mettaton Slapstick comedy. Never again would the Prince- no, King of Monsters turn his back on his people, regardless of his state of mind or cost to himself.

He glanced down at Frisk, heartened at the sight. Even if the look of her having half his ear in her mouth, the look on her face easily told him she had come to the same decision.

"We need to draw Chara out" he simply stated.

"Got a plan for how to draw an incorporeal, time-traveling part-ghost, part-human, part-demon out of hiding?"

"Uhhm, well, no..." He scratched the back of his head.

Frisk scowled before blowing the ear in her mouth out, causing Asriel to wince in slight disgust as the soggy piece slapped against his shoulder. "That's too bad" she said "Because I got one, but it's not one either of us is going to like"

"Is this the same as when we had to infiltrate that underground slaver compound? Frisk, I don't see how putting me in chains and treating me as a pet will help anything, other than your... interesting fantasies"

"I love how that's your first impulsion... and honestly, it might work" she said with an amused smile hat quickly dropped into a bitter one "But no, no bondage, no petting. Chara put us here because they wanted us to have a happy-ever-after, right?"

"Yeah, that's-" Asriel agreed before a mental lid in his head suddenly opened up, realizing what Frisk was planning...and what they had to do.

"Aww, this is gonna suck" he sighed

"Yup" Frisk agreed "But it's gotta be done. Now, let's go turn this Good Ending into a Bad one"

Frisk's plan was heralded by the loud crash of her tipping over the table holding the punch bowl, deliberately timed so the splash would cover as many guests as possible, drenching them in the sticky liquid. Before anyone even had time to wonder what had happened she leaped up on another table, hands on her hips in a mocking posture "Aww, did you ruin your good clothes? Isn't that a 'punch' in the gut?" she said with a teasing laugh.

Asriel leaped up to join her, crossing his arms and raising his muzzle in what he hoped was a dismissive, aggressive pose, as much to intimated as to hide his cheeks, flushing from the audacity at what they were doing.

"Good riddance to bad drink - tasted like month old squeezed stink-snail juice left too long in the sun anyway" he snorted.

The guest, their friends and family were all stock-still, mouths agape at the display. It almost physically hurt seeing them like that, Asriel thought, but it had to be done.

"Flowey, back me up here, this is your scene. Any ideas?" He mentally called.

Beside him, Frisk leaned down, broke off a large piece of cheese from a wedge, dipped it in in a mix of salsa, ketchup and shredded lemon-snail and held it up menacingly.

"Yo, Paps, why don't ya get somethin' ta eat, yer all skin'n'bones!" She said in a sudden street hoodlum tone of voice before tossing the greasy cheese at the lanky skeleton who fell backward in an exaggerated manner with a shrill shriek as it thudded into his party-body "M-MERCY, FRISK THE HUMAN!" he pleaded, rolling on the floor clutching the cheese on his body in pain as if it was a bullet wound.

"Hey, Frisky got the right idea, get the trashbag! We need to pay him back for the Pitcher Pun he pulled on us!" Flowey hissed inside Asriel's head.

"Hey, sans, I remember you asking me about the Fireball thing? Well, allow me to 'Pitch' you an example of how it works!" he grinned before leaning back with his arm and throwing a fireball at the punmaster. As expected, sans dodged out of the way, allowing the fireball to fly on, smashing through the living room window and out on the street were it set fire to one of the guest's cars.

A loud gasp filled the living room at the sight, quickly followed by Toriel stomping in front of them " **Frisk and Asriel Dreemurr, what has gotten into you!? Stop this madness at once, or-** "

"Oh shut your butterscotch-cinnamon pie-hole, you old hag" Frisk dismissed. Another loud gasp, luckily so loud no one noticed Asriel did it as well. Toriel stood, mouth agape, hurt and confusion all over her face. He guessed it must have taken all of Frisk's willpower to make herself tell her off like that. He sure couldn't, much less pile it on. He needed a new target and as he saw his exasperated dad stumbling towards them he found it.

"Hey dad, I hope you don't mind, but I dug up and sold your rare Soulleaf and Dewberry plants, y'know, the ones you make your favorite tea out of? I needed the money for, uhh...hardcore drugs! Yeah, super, rock-hardcore! Also, I'm thinking of stopping all this boring Fireball stuff I got going and hang out with Jerry more often!"

Somehow, the room still had enough air for another loud gasp, none louder than Asgore whose face was a grimace of confusion, disappointment, shock and misery.

"My- wha-why would-how... what..." he mumbled in horror.

But then it was Frisk's and Asriel's turn to be horrified. The worst thing that could have happened happened.

Nothing.

Nothing but accusing faces from their friends looking up at them, some mumbling about 'how far the apples had fallen' or how they 'always suspected the Dreemurr kids were too good to be true'

But nothing felt as damning as seeing Toriel slowly recover from her shock into a furry mass of 'I'm not angry, just really, REALLY disappointed'.

"Why isn't it working?" Asriel leaned over and whispered into Frisk's ear, his rising panic clear.

"I... I don't know, maybe Chara thinks it can still be recovered, that this timeline is still better than the alternatives"

"Then what do we do? Make ourselves look like even bigger jerks?"

Frisk eyed the scene. They would have to act quickly before someone went up to them and grounded them for the next few decades. Asriel was partially right; they needed to do worse... worse enough to go beyond being just jerks and as she spotted Monster Kid, standing somewhat alone close by, face down in a plate of cake and oblivious to what had happened she knew what to do.

She leaned down and picked up a cake-cutting knife, sharp enough to cut through a Rockslug Snail's shell and readied it in her hand, taking a deep breath, praying in her head to whoever was listening that she wasn't about to do something unforgivable.

"Hey everyone! Wanna see a magic trick?" she pointed the knife at Monster Kid who finally looked up, face covered in whipped cream and bits of cake.

"Allakazim, allakabrust, with a flying knife thrust, turn this idiot into dust!" she sang and threw the knife at Monster Kid.

This time there was no gasp. Instead, it was a roar of denial and a wail from Toriel. Undyne ran at Monster Kid, no doubt intending to tackle the dumbfounded dinosaur out of the way, but it was too little too late.

It took an effort of will on Frisk's part to stop herself from leaping after the knife. She had gotten so far in life without ever having to resort to killing and the idea that she might finally end her streak on what could be a giant mistake was enough to make her faint.

Which she almost did as she saw the knife thud into Monster Kid's chest. The little unarmed dinosaur fell back with a wail, dust already flying off him. After a moment of silence he laid still on the floor.

Frisk felt her vision darken and wetness on her face, ber body as cold as ice as what she had done settled on her. Angry, accusing eyes turned on her before furious yells and shouts filled her world. She was dimly aware of Asriel stepping in front of her, but she reached a hand out to pull him aside. She deserved whatever was coming and she would meet it face-on.

But then the room grew silent. A few mere centimeters from her face Frisk saw Undyne's outstretched hand, hanging still where she had been reaching to pull her down from the table. Beside her, Asriel was looking at a just as stock-still figure of Gerson rushing towards him.

"Golly, did it... did it work?" he wondered, jumping down and giving Gerson a small push. He was as still as a statue.

"God, I hope so. When that knife went into Monster Kid, I-"

"You did what you had to, Frisk. Don't think about it"

"But I could have killed him! Heck, unless Chara can somehow undo what we've done in this timeline then I... then I actually did just kill him..."

Asriel moved up and wrapped his arms around her. She wasn't crying but she had a far-away look in her eyes that told him she was on the brink. She had always been stronger than him, he knew, and it stood to reason only someone as strong as herself could break her.

Someone, he realized as he looked over her shoulder, who might be here.

He gently spun Frisk around, turning her to face the reason she even had to do it in the first place

Chara, their face a thundercloud, angrily stuffing their face with bits of chocolate from a bowl on a table.

" **What. The. Fuck ARE YOU DOING!?** "

* * *

 **I know I said it before, but we're nearing the end. Hold tight everyone!**


	23. Till the End of Time

**It is done...**

* * *

"Lady Toriel! What're we gonna do!? The school walls won't hold forever and when they get through we'll-"

"Please, I know the circumstances are dire but for the sake of the children I urge you not to panic"

"Not to panic!? Do you know what those things do to you? What they'll do to our kids? Panicking seems like the only right thing to do! I'm about to explode!"

"I only ask that you in this time of crisis make a good example for the children. When the crisis is over and you return home you can-"

"Make a good example!? Return home!? Have you taken even a look outside!? This is the end! We're all doomed!"

Toriel sighed as the crowd of monsters seeking refugee inside her school once again descended into panicked and fearful gibbering. She didn't blame them, considering what might happen if the school walls, reinforced with protective magic to keep the void spirits out for a time, fell.

But her heart bled the most for the children gathered in a corner of the PE hall, huddled in blankets and most of them in tears, not understanding why all the adults and their parents were being so hysteric. With what the void spirit did to one once they got hold of you she understood why many might find it difficult to face such an end with any kind of dignity, but for the sake of not scaring the children any further, she still urged them not to despair.

She raised her voice again, trying to bring some measure of order over the shrieking crowd but to no avail, some members of the crowd even telling her to shut up.

With a grunt of frustration, she stepped out of the crowd, pondering what to do. She needed a break, to clear her head, but the kids also needed reassurance. They might still have a few hours until the protective magic faltered and if she could provide just some measure of comfort in their final hours then it might just be worthwhile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an island of calm in the panicking adults, a pair of dark-yellow-colored reptilian monsters, male and female, both armless that unlike the other adults were completely calm… albeit still fixing her with disdainful glares.

Something bade her approach them. If there were any animosity between her and someone else she wanted to settle it while she still had the chance, and there was something familiar about the pair. As she drew near the monsters straightened up and squared their shoulders, as if preparing to take a Final Froggit head-on. As they did Toriel finally realized why they seemed so familiar and at once she understood why they might have animosity with her, or at least, the Dreemurr name.

They were Monster Kid's parents.

"Hello, Toriel" The female one said coldly.

"Greetings" she replied "It is good to see that you made it to safety. The announcement was sent out with regrettably little notice"

"Oh, I don't know why we even bothered, not like we got much left to lose" the male one said with a bitter chuckle, looking the hall over "Last time I was here was quite a few years ago, watching my son participate in the annual Summer Run. Was a good memory. Looks like it's gonna die here with the rest of us"

Toriel's face fell "Sir, we all regret what happened to your son… but I assure you, he gave his life to save us all. He is a hero and I promise you he will never be forgotten"

"I don't want my son to be a hero, I want him to be alive!" The female one suddenly burst with a snarl. Toriel didn't flinch but still felt her heart break as the anger on the female one's face quietly turned into sorrow and water pooled in her eyes.

She understood the unimaginable sorrow of losing a child, after all, and for a moment a splinter of that old pain tore into her soul.

The male one leaned against his wife, wrapping his tail around her. His voice was still calm and quiet but carried a rumble that betrayed the anguish he bore.

"Please understand, we don't blame you, Toriel, not wholly, at least" he quietly added "But were it not for your son dragging ours along on such a dangerous trip, his Crownquest no less, our son would've never..." he grimaced and looked away, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

"Your son has cost us dearly, Toriel. Not just me and my wife but all of monsterkind if this rumor that he might be involved in these void spirits breaking loose are true"

She nodded quietly. The urge to defend her son and deny the rumor rose to her mind, but she wouldn't lie, not now, in the end.

"If it is any consolation, he, along with my daughter, are risking life and soul right now to try and stop all of this" she explained.

"Even if they succeed can you even begin to imagine the damaged that has been done already!? The lives lost and families ruined by the void spirits!?" the female one snarled "All because of your damned kids! Because they felt like they had something to prove!"

"That is not-" Toriel began but the dinosaur gave her no leeway.

"Your son, our 'king'" she spat "is a murderer and a coward. He dragged my boy with him because he couldn't face his Crownquest alone and now he might very well have finished the rest of us off. Some 'Dragon of Ebott' he turned out to be"

"Please, this isn't-"

"We'd be better off if we had stayed Underground… if your Asriel had never returned" she said coldly before turning her back and walking away.

Toriel felt a coldness running through her body. As much as it had hurt hearing such a denunciation of her son she was at least grateful he hadn't been there to hear it in person. After his Crownquest he had fully committed himself to being a protector of their people, helped along by Undyne's training. It was his duty and penance, he had explained, for all the horror and suffering he had unleashed upon the as a flower. He had done well the past many years but still, being called a murderer was one of the best ways to trigger his past traumas. If he had heard that there were still people that considered him such, it would have broken him.

She only hoped that him meeting Chara, one so deeply involved with his greatest regrets wouldn't do even worse to him.

* * *

"I can't believe this, least of all from you, Frisk. I throw you into a world in which your world is turned upside down and you barely flinch. I throw you into one where everything is sunshine and farting out rainbows and you go and stab another kid just to spite me. Well, mission accomplished! What the fuck!?" Chara snarled, their speech somewhat slurred by the mass of chocolate cookies they were chewing on.

"We told you, this isn't our world, regardless of how awesome it is" Frisk shot back.

"Please Chara, just stop this. We need your help sealing the Void Spirits away. If you can't do that then at least send us back" Asriel backed her up.

Chara turned towards him fully, wiping some chocolate chip residue from her chin "And you! You little traitor! I remember a time where you could barely watch someone step on a friggin' daisy without bawling your eyes out, yet here you are, throwing fireballs at people like it was going out of style and breaking poor dad's heart, again, just to spite me"

"Chara, we-"

"Where was this resoluteness when we first went to the surface together, huh!? As far as I remember you were too chicken to even defend yourself while those yokels cut you up like a piece of meat! If you had had even the slightest bit of gumption then as you'd shown here imagine how much better things would have turned out!"

"And as far as I remember it was your idea that got yourself, then me, killed! I'm sorry I didn't agree to your genocidal plan all the way, but I just figured that, hey, maybe restarting the war that got us all trapped Underground wasn't the smartest move!" Asriel snarled back, stomping down to get his point across.

Chara actually seemed surprised at his retort for a moment, and it occurred to him that this moment was his first-ever raising his voice in anger at his sibling.

The First Child suddenly narrowed their eyes direly, a glint in them hinting that a thought had occurred to them.

"Oh, I see, so that's how it is…" they said quietly "The reason for all of this, the reason you can't just let me hand you over a happy ending… is that you still carry a grudge"

"What!? No! That's not-"

"Oh, I get it. If I had gotten eternally horizontal due to someone else's bad planning I'd be mighty pissed off too. But that's not the case here. I handed you god-like powers on a silver-platter, Azzy, and all you had to do was flex your fingers at some no-name nobodies. Hell, I even screamed at you to do it in the moment! I did my part of the deal, Brother, you DO NOT get to pin this on me"

"Th-that's not what I meant, Chara"

"Funny… this all reminds me of a little story. When I was still living on the surface, my dad once drunkenly asked me to get him a case of beers, and like a good little demon I huddled down to the store, bearing all the insults and threats thrown at me. When I got back home with the beer, a few scrapes, and bruises richer, my dad immediately got furious because he chipped a friggin' tooth on one of the beers because he forgot to remove the cap first… Guess who got blamed for that, and a hundred other similar accidents"

Chara shook their head with a bitter chuckle. "And here you are, doing the very same. I trusted you, you know. I thought you, all of you monsters, were better than humans. That you didn't lie and conspire and held petty grudges. Boy, did you pull the wool over my eyes"

Chara looked away while a mad smile slowly crept onto their face. They threw their arms around as to gesture to the whole world around them.

"Is this really it? No matter what I do, no matter where I go people will always lie, cheat and point their grubby little fingers" they muttered with a defeated tone. Asriel wanted to step in but stopped as he noted how the floor, walls and even the very air around Chara grew dark as if the First Child were sucking out all the light around them.

"Godammit, I thought dying would at least put an end to all this bullcrap, but no, even as a spook people still keep deceiving" All around them shapes were appearing from the darkness, bearing attires from past and present and bearing looks of eternal hunger. Void Spirits.

Frisk didn't seem to notice as she took an angry step towards the First Child. "That's not fair and you know it! You lied to mom and dad, you lied to Asriel and look where it got you! If anyone is pointing fingers it's you!"

Chara slowly craned their head towards Frisk with sad, empty eyes "Then what's the point of it all? If all we ever do, if all we all are at heart is nothing but liars and cheats then what's the point? The whole world is a farce, this one, the one you want to return to, every one, it's all a miserable pile of secrets and lies"

"Our love for you was never a lie, Chara. If you can't see that then the only one who is lying here is you" Asriel said resolutely.

Chara turned her head to him with a curious look and maybe, just maybe, a hint of the trust they once shared a long time ago.

Before They could respond the first of Void Spirits fully materialized, darting from the darkness and towards the Dreemurr Kids, one of them bowling the First Child over.

"Oh Crap! Did I do that!? I didn't mean to-" They shouted.

Brightness filled the room as a fireball from Asriel dissipated a Void Spirit, then another, but for each one banished another 3 sprung into life around Chara.

"Run! Up the stairs!" Frisk shouted, tugging on the Prince as he attempted to retreat while simultaneously trying to keep the maddened souls at bay. Chara was half-heartedly beseeching them to stop but in their state couldn't muster up the will to calm them.

They reached the stairs. Asriel leaving a barrage of fireballs in their wake, courtesy of Undyne's training. Usually, he'd have been able to keep it up for hours, but with his smaller body and a smaller amount of magic in it he could already feel the weariness settling in.

One of the spirits leaped off a table towards Frisk, arms outstretched to tear the soul right out of her, but all it found was a faceful of fire.

Another trio jumped on the opportunity, rushing in unison at them. Asriel spun into a reverse-roundhouse, sending a wave of fire out from the arc of his leg. The firewall dispersed the trio and sent the rest scattering, but the move had taken so much from him he collapsed on his leg as he landed. Eager hands pulling him up didn't allow him to stay down for long, however. "We gotta scoot!" Frisk barked, practically carrying him up the stairs.

The firewall dissipated as they reached the top and the spirits roared after them with renewed hunger.

"Come on, goat-butt, we just gotta get to our room!" Frisk ordered the staggering monster who half-stumbled, half-dragged after her.

Frisk's hand clamped down on the door handle the second the first of the void spirits reached the top of the stairs and sprinted down after them. Asriel meekly raised a paw but all he managed was a puff of smoke and sparks.

With one hand throwing the door open and the other throwing Asriel in, Frisk got them both inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

Asriel did his best to get to his feet and ready to fend off the spirits when they got in. He had seen how they had phased through walls back when they first broke into the world at the conference center and he doubted a wooden door would fare any better.

Which was why he almost jumped in surprise when instead of snarling ghosts coming through the door, it instead rocked and shook as they pounded on it from outside.

"What the…" he quietly mused before noticing a small necklace hanging on the door.

"Your… your Heart Locket?" he said out loud before his legs gave out and he collapsed on his behind.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a gamble, but honestly, our lockets have been through so much I'd be surprised if they weren't just the tiniest bit magical by now. I'm just happy it was of the protective kind" Frisk explained, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

Asriel meekly reached into his shirt to grasp his own locket. He hadn't even considered it but maybe it made sense, he thought, remembering how his mother once told him how Friendship was a ward against many fears of the world, he just never expected it to be so literal, but Frisk was a known cause of surprises after all.

"Well, looks like we're safe for the time being at least" Frisk said, punctuated by a dull thud as Asriel splayed out on the floor in weariness, just now realizing how winded he was.

"Stars… this used… to be a lot easier… when I was older" he said in-between labored breaths.

"It's all those lard-slugs you've been eating, tend to stick to the sides" Frisk huffed and plumped down on the bed.

For a few moments, the only noise in the room was the muffled pounding and snarling of the Void Spirits right outside their door, none of them seemed to notice as their minds raced to figure out what to do now. At least this timeline's versions of their friends and families seemed safe from the Void Spirits as time was frozen, as they had ignored them in their escape.

"So… what now?" Asriel posed after a while, sitting back up "We have to get to Chara. They're the only one who can stop all this and-"

"Then we need to go outside" Frisk cut in.

"Huh? Outside?" Asriel wondered. Frisk nodded towards the window in their room overlooking the street and as he sauntered over he saw, true enough, Chara, on the other side of the street looking up at them, surrounded by wandering void spirits.

"What are they doing?" Frisk asked out loud.

"... I'm not sure they know themselves" Asriel shot back "But we somehow have to get to them. I can get through to them, I know it"

He could almost hear how Frisk's lips curled into a worried sneer like she always did when she got a dangerous but usually effective plan. Asriel tried to shut it out for a moment, focusing on the 2 two red pinpricks that constituted Chara's eyes, still clearly visible from so far away. He could only imagine what was going on just behind them, what thoughts they were having. Just as they fled the living room they actually looked somewhat moved by his words. They were still in there somewhere.

"So… I might have an idea" Frisk sighed after a while.

"Does it involve me dressing up as someone else and you putting me in chains again?"

"Why do you always bring that up? That was one time and don't tell me you didn't like it at least a little bit!"

"I would have liked it better if you hadn't marched me into an underground slave pit"

"What if I had marched you into our bedroom"

"Uhh, no comment"

"Yeah… well, in any case, you're going to like this even less I think" Frisk plumped down in the bed again, taking a deep breath.

"So… long story short; we need to get you to Chara. There's a lot of Void Spirits in the way. I can't do magic so I can't fend them off. You can, but not for as long as we need" Frisk surmised.

"All true"

"Which means we need to get you some extra juice"

"And where would we get that?"

"You're looking at it"

"Looking at it? What do you-" The moment the Knife of Realization sunk into Asriel he felt his paw curl into a fist, almost ready to lash out at Frisk for even daring to suggest what she was suggesting.

"No, no, no, no. Frisk, you can't- you can't do that to me. You can't ask that of me!"

"It'll be fine"

"Chara said the exact same thing when they told me this kind of plan! You wanna know how that ended!? Hope you got a while because, golly, it's a story continuing well into today!" Asriel snarled.

"The difference is you had a choice back then! And forgive me for not bringing my vanity specs but I don't see that we have any now!"

Asriel staggered back, pulling on his stubby horns in a rising panic.

"Bu-but what about you!? If I take your soul you'll-"

"Flowey was kept alive through pure Determination, right? Well, I HAVE been called Determined a few times in my life"

"But you'll be just like Flowey, then!"

"Then maybe I can understand what all the fuss is about. And hey, it's not like its indefinite. If I give you my soul you gotta give me a pinky promise you'll hand it back"

"... How can you be so casual about all of this?"

Frisk offered a wry smile and quick shrug "It's easy enough if there's only one thing we can do. No reason to worry over alternatives that aren't there"

Asriel couldn't quite suppress a dumbfounded chuckle at her logic. It made sense… he supposed.

"Child of peace, indeed" he thought.

"I just… I got a very bad feeling about this plan, Frisk. It's the same kind of plan that ruined my life, several timelines too"

"I know" Frisk nodded somberly "But this time you're out to save people, this time you'll be using your powers for good, not just as a pawn for someone wanting to get one last petty lash out at humanity"

Asriel was quiet, his face low and his paws clenched at his side. The event of the first time played out in his head; Chara slowly succumbing to the poison, him taking their soul, the humans that kept hitting him, his death. Every particle of dust in his being screamed out "NO!"

But in the end, he trusted Frisk more than himself.

* * *

"Well, this is a right mess. You jokers weren't even supposed to be here" Chara spoke to a pair of void spirits, one of which clutched its stomach in pained hunger and the other glaring holes in the room the Dreemurr Kids were inside across the street.

"I'm not mad, though. I guess I did kinda leave the door open. Doesn't mean I'm running an open-door policy or anything, but it's whatever. Whaddya think they're doing up there?" They put to the spirits. The first one responded with a pained wail and collapsed on the street while the other turned it's piercing gaze towards Chara.

"You don't know either? I suppose it was a stupid question. I thought I knew that little fuzzball, but it looks like little goody-two-shoes Frisky has been a good influence on him… maybe a little too good" Chara added with distaste.

"This whole ride has been one giant emotional rollercoaster. I die believing I've been hoodwinked and that there are only liars in the world. I rake and claw my way out of the Void to get some payback and now that I'm finally here I'm getting doubts because the Prince of Fuzz has grown into his horns and my replacement human has a soul as clean as a baby's butt. Just couldn't just be simple, could it?"

The void spirit looked down at Chara's feet. Sniffling and slowly shaking its head.

"Oh, c'mon! Don't you start too! I can't just send them back to their timeline and seal all your suckers back in the Void! I mean, I can, but that would mean everything I've done goes down the toilet! It would mean I would lose! It would mean…"

Chara's face fell, casting a shadow over it, full of frustration and gritted teeth "It would mean… I would never… see them again…"

The Void spirit suddenly snapped its attention back to the window across the street. The air was building with an overwhelming magically charged atmosphere. Chara could practically feel their hairs stand on end despite not having a body. All around, the sprits were doing the same; stopping what they were doing and turning to regard whatever was going on.

"What in the world-" Chara managed before the whole side of the Dreemurr Residence was suddenly blown out, exposing the living room, the kitchen, Asriel and Frisk's room.

As well as something Chara had never thought they would see again. The long, black robes, the dark lines on its face.

The God of Hyperdeath. Eyes closed and hovering just above the ground.

They took a step back in stunned disbelief "You absolute mad lad… Didn't see that one coming" they whispered out loud.

The absolutely phenomenal amount of power radiating from the god caused an uproar amongst the Void spirits. Screaming and shouting they charged at him but as they got close bolts of fiery lightning shot out, banishing them.

The God of Hyperdeath hovered down to the street as softly as if he was riding a cloud, the claws on his feet just a few centimeters shorts of touching the pavement.

His eyes opened up, one alight with a red flame and the other with a white one.

"Chara" he said out loud with a voice echoing with power, but also a tint of resoluteness Chara swore wasn't there the last time they had seen him.

"Well, well, never thought my own plan would ever come back to bite me in the butt" Chara huffed "I'm guessing Frisk put you up to this?"

The God of Hyperdeath nodded "Without her having to die"

"Figures"

"... you knew it was possible? Giving a soul without having to die?"

"You would have have been better off without a demon, or, worse, a human like me around anyway. Asriel, c'mon, you almost sound like I didn't spend at least an hour a day talking about much I wanted to just... go away"

The God Of Hyperdeath's paws clenched at his side and around him, small patches of grass burst into flames.

"Out deaths were what lead to all of this, Chara! It's about high time it ended!"

"Then just accept the happy ending I got planned for all of you"

"I don't want a 'happy ending', I want **My** ending! One where everything me and my friends have gone through actually means something! I'm done having my destiny handed to me… even if it's by you" he added direly.

"Heh, gotta say, as goddamn annoying it is, I can't help but like this fierce side of you, Azzy. The old you would have folded like a wet cardboard box by now" Chara spread their hands out and closed them into fists. All around them the air shimmered as they prepared to tear the veil between worlds apart again.

"But I got one last trick up my sleeve. I haven't exactly been ignorant of all your shenanigans, even just after we died, and as much as I wanted to get my hands on you after what you did, well… Let's just say I'm not the only one" Chara finished with a dark slasher grin before pulling their hands to themselves. Around them, 4 dimensional holes opened up.

Asriel steeled himself, prepared for whatever might come out. With Frisk's human soul he doubted there was any opponent he couldn't overcome, even the likes of Caderas, Valantis or even Omega Flowey.

He saw a figure appear in one of the holes, and took a deep breath as he prepared for whatever might come out. He almost choked on the air as the figure turned out not to be a fiend of the past. It was somehow much worse.

Out of the dimensional rift a haggard and disheveled Toriel staggered out, leaking dust and blood from a myriad of cuts and wounds. One eye was an empty crater while the other almost glowed with madness and regret as it settled on the God of Hyperdeath. Despite her nightmarish appearance, Asriel found her voice, raspy and deathly as it was the scariest, as it still carried a remnant of her maternal affection.

"A-Asriel… is that you…?" she hissed "What… why have you done this? To us? To… yourself? First a flower, now this?"

Asriel was so stunned he hadn't even realized another figure had stepped out of the second portal before he heard the tell-tale baritone of his dad's voice, as raspy and decayed as Toriel's.

"Asriel? You- why would you do all this? To your family? That flower… it was you? I would have never… thought…"

A small figure clad in purple and blue stepped out of the 3rd rift, not as bruised or battered as his tortured forms of Toriel and Asgore, but still damaged. Frisk, but with dull eyes, empty frown and somewhat grayish skin that told Asriel that this was a soulless vessel; a Frisk without any of her Determination or characteristics.

"H-hey, give it back. My soul" she whimpered in a way that almost reminded him of Alphys in her most scared moments "I don't like it like this. I-I really don't. I can't feel anything"

Asriel felt a cold run down his back, knowing his own Frisk was going through the same. He was all too well the all-encompassing hole of emptiness one's entire life became once one's soul was gone.

A similar-sized and shaped figure emerged from the final portal. Another Chara, seemingly more confused than anything, looking wild-eyed back and forth at everyone.

"Well, well, well! Look who's come to visit! Sad remnants from abandoned and destitute timelines" The ghostly Chara declared with arms spread wide. They walked up to the tormented Toriel.

"Chara? My child… alive? How can this be" she muttered.

"Wow, you really did a number on this one. I've heard about certain flowers being spicy, me having scarfed down some myself, as you might recall, but this Flowey persona of yours seemed to have been as spicy as an acid bath!" Chara said with an appreciative whistle, completely deaf to the shell-shocked monster.

Asriel closed his eyes and nodded "I remember. The 54th run. Flowey convinced mom to become a school teacher… then killed her whole class in front of her, saving her for last" he said.

"Woah, and this is the same Asriel that thought filming me with the cap on the camera was a real knee-slapper of a prank. Guess dyings' a good a reason as any to turn heel, huh?" Chara said with a grin, traipsing over to the just as mangled Asgore.

"And here we have-"

"33rd run. Flowey beat, bound and gagged dad, then forced him to watch a theatrical re-enactment of our deaths over and over again" Asriel cut in.

Chara regarded the floating God of Hyperdeath with a look of curiosity at his neutral tone of voice. Asriel didn't see it but he knew, he knew what Chara's plan had been, what their aim of bringing in the remnants of timelines Flowey had destroyed was; a final caustic reminder that would, at last, convince him to give up on his own timeline, so filled with lost hope and crushed dreams as it may be.

But, in seeing the remnants, all he had been reminded of was what had come before, all that had to be sacrificed for his and Frisk's world to come to be. He might as well tear out his own soul if he turned his back on it all.

The only thing, the best thing he could do for these sad remnants were for them to never be forgotten, to not let the future their demise had brought about be left behind. All of it, from when he had died with his sibling to this very moment had led to this.

And as Frisk had once shown pity on a small boy who thought he could not be saved, so would he do it to all the souls left behind in Timelines he had ruined.

He approached the mangled Toriel and reached a paw out. She flinched for a moment, taking a step back, turning her remaining eye from the outstretched paw to his face and back again.

"I'm sorry, mom. I know what you have gone through. You and everyone. None of it would have happened if I had been stronger"

The hesitation vanished from Toriel's features as if hearing his voice had reawakened a long-dormant maternal instinct. She stepped forward, reaching out for his paw.

To their side, the tormented Asgore approached as well, though it was hard to read his face beneath all the dried dust and wounds.

"You as well, dad. You taught me everything about being a worthy king, yet I spend so long being the exact opposite. But not anymore"

He brought Toriel into a hug, and as Asgore got close he too joined in. A white light slowly began emanating from the center of their bodies, bright without being blinding.

"You won't be forgotten. Not ever. All you've gone through, all you've suffered, it won't be in vain. I swear, I will always remember you for as long as I live. I love you, mom… dad."

The light grew in intensity until it completely obscured the 3 Dreemurrs. The ghostly Chara raised a hand to shield her eyes but found they didn't need to, their hand being translucent notwithstanding.

The light began dimming, revealing a single figure left standing; the God of Hyperdeath.

"Wh-who-wh-what just happened?" Chara muttered, stunned.

"I gave them peace. Just like I made peace with my past" the quiet, calm voice of the God replied. He turned his head to Chara "And just like it's time for you to make with yours"

"Well, I-" The ghostly Chara began.

"What in the world are you doing!?" The corporeal Chara one suddenly burst in, stomping up to the ghostly Chara.

"Can't say I can figure out neither head nor hair of what's going on here, but it sure seems like you're trying to pull some sick bullcrap on our brother here, and you know what? That ain't level with me, nor you and you know it!"

"I… I…"

"I'm… pretty sure I would agree" the soulless Frisk chimed in "I just wanted everyone to be happy, but you can't do that if you force them to live how You want it, instead of letting them chose how to live their own lives. The freedom to create your own path is essential if you ever want to be truly content with who you are"

"Gghh, god, even without a soul you're still a halo away from being an angel"

"And so could you be, if you would just do the right thing" Asriel kneeled down to the ghostly Chara "I want my own timeline, but I also want you in it, Chara. You have the power to save it all, to seal the Void Spirits back and save everyone! To save the monsters! Wasn't that what you always wanted?"

"I think that's what I would have wanted you to do" the Soulless Frisk chimed in.

"It would be a crime, not to fix time, you snotty sack of slime" The live Chara rhymed, looking mighty pleased with themselves.

The ghostly Chara looked at each of the people around them, ghostly, shaking fists at their side. Their teeth gritted as they tried to summon up one last retort.

But none of them, not even the soulless Frisk, nor the God of Hyperdeath, not even their own self from another timeline seemed to be even in the slightest bit of doubt.

"...fine…"

"Chara! You'll- you'll do it?" Asriel gasped.

"I just wanted to give you a happily ever after, but if you all really want to go back to your own timeline… then I guess I've messed with your life enough already" they drew a deep breath and reached their hands into the air "Hold onto your butts, I've never really done anything like this before, and I imagine it'll be about as pleasant as a Pyrope and Ice Hat marriage"

Before Asriel could as much as thank his long lost sibling, the effect of their tampering with time itself became evident. At once, it felt like he was pulled apart and compressed. Lifted up and mashed down into the ground. The world around him shimmered and shifted as if in a haze. Everything became unclear.

Then he began falling. Up, down, left, right, back and forth, neither and all directions at once. Scenes and images from countless timelines flashed before him. Each created from the minutest difference in a choice made by him or those close to him, each creating an array of hundreds of new futures.

But there was only one for him.

He could feel it without really knowing how. Something primal within him simply told him that his timeline was closing in. He tried to look down, or up, or whatever direction it is he was falling, but just as he did he hit something and crashed through.

He tensed up, expecting pain from the crash, but as he released all he could feel was sun on his far, a summer breeze, and the soft footfalls of someone approaching.

All clashing with an unnerving feeling of something being not quite right.

"Frisk, Asriel… Welcome Home"

* * *

 **First of all, allow me to say, if you think the ending felt rushed, maybe even anti-climactic then I can only agree. When I first set out to write this story I figured it would end in a confrontation between Frisk, Asriel and Chara, although I wasn't really sure how it would pan out at the time, I figured it would come to me as I went on... that wasn't quite the case, at least, not as well as I had hoped.**

 **Instead, I figured it was time to put the story to pasture, even if it meant rushing the ending while still leaving the possibility of a continuation. And yes, I know it sounds silly saying anything about this was rushed, seeing as it still took months, but, ehhhm, well, you see... boy, is it getting warm in here?**

 **That aside, I might continue the story at another point, but for now, there's a new one I got in the works! (Cue shocked gasps). An AU of UT. I won't say too much yet, BUT! In order to ensure you won't have to wait for months on end for each chapter, I'm planning to write about half the story before I begin posting any of it.**

 **I think you'll like it.**

 **But for now, thank you all for reading the story. You've been great and I hope to see you all around :D**


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